Successes from our First Year

This is a very exciting time for the Andrew and Abby Szott Foundation. Because our foundation is so young (January 2007), each year has looked very different from the one before. The one thing that has stayed the same, however, is the people who care so deeply about our cause and are committed to its success.

We have been blessed again and again with the energy, creativity, generosity, brilliance, prayers, and enthusiasm of so many. The good thing about this is that the numbers keep growing. We have enjoyed tremendous growth over the past two years because of you. Thank you for making it possible!

First Gift of Time Grant for the Plemel Family

We awarded our first ever Gift of Time grant in the amount of $25,000 during our third annual Abby Invite gymnastics meet in December 2007. We were blessed that Larry and Debbie Plemel and their lovely daughter Brooke were able to attend and receive the Gift in person. The Foundation was so honored to be able to give the Gift of Time to allow Debbie to stay home full-time to care for Brooke.

Another highlight of our first year as a Foundation was our first annual golf Tournament for Time held at Cannon Falls Golf Cub. The event was so much fun and was wildly successful!

Television Publicity

We also received much publicity in 2007. Joe Fryer from KARE 11 did an Extra segment on the 6:00 news. He captured the focus of the Foundation and highlighted the presentation of our first gift to the Plemels. After it aired, we were overwhelmed with generous donations and letters from well-wishers who were moved by the segment. KARE 11’s Eric Perkins did a “Perk at Play” segment promoting the Szott Foundation at one of Eastview High School’s gymnastics practices prior to the Abby Invite. Thank you to KARE 11! We look forward to a continued relationship with them in the future.

Successful Fundraising Events

We headed into 2008 with much enthusiasm and motivation for further success and we were not disappointed. We were able to award five families with the Gift of Time in grant amounts ranging from $9,000 to $25,000.

Annual events in 2008 played a big roll in our fundraising efforts. The second annual Tournament for Time golf outing, now our signature event, was held on August 16 and was once again very successful and fun.

A second major annual event is our beloved Abby Invite gymnastics meet. This event is very near and dear to our hearts because of Abby’s love for the sport. Also, the event is run entirely by the Eastview High School gymnastics team and booster club. Their continued support means so much to our organization.

Emmy Garner, one of Abby’s friends, organized the second annual Sand Volleyball Benefit. She is just one of the many young people who have supported the Foundation through creative fundraisers.

Leadership Changes

We’ve begun to realize that one of our greatest assets is the young people, like Emmy, who are steadfastly committed to the Szott Foundation. Most of them are Abby’s friends and peers, but some are young people who just want desperately to get involved in a cause that can make a noticeable difference in the lives of other people. They have shown their support and passion in numerous ways, particularly in the area of fun, creative fundraisers, such as Dream Date for Hope, Dodgefest, and Homerun for Hope. We are so excited about their enthusiasm, because they are the future of the Szott Foundation.

The Szott Foundation leadership is also growing and changing. In the fall, we added two strong, bright women to our Board of Directors. Kelsey Webster came on board in September, and Shelly Collins-Rucks joined us in October. We are excited about what these women will bring to the Board.

Our Board said good-bye to Tammie Dahlheimer, oncology nurse practitioner at the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, as her two-year term as a member of the Board of Directors came to a close in December 2008. Tammie will stay on, however, in an advisory role as our medical liaison. She will also serve as a link between the Foundation and social workers in area hospitals to help facilitate the application process. We are grateful to her for her service and dedication as a Board member, and we look forward to working with her in other capacities in the future. She has such a heart for the Szott Foundation and the families we impact. Thank you, Tammie for everything you have done for us!

Also, thank you to all of you who have shown such great support for our Foundation this year. None of our successes would be possible without your support. Please find information about what we’ve accomplished in 2008 in this document. We look forward to future successes in 2009!

Best,

Kathryn Szott
Co-Founder and President
Andrew and Abby Szott Foundation