Despite wind and rain, our community showed up at Mike's Fieldhouse to celebrate Friend Raiser '26: Writing Stories of Resilience. From enjoying delicious food from around the Basin to competing in crowd favorites like Bourbon Plinko and Heads or Tails, guests gathered to support the life-changing impact of professional mentorship.

The evening highlighted many stories of resilience, including an inspiring featured graduate who shared how the support of Friends of the Children helped shape her journey. Together, we celebrated not only the successes of program youth, but also the donors, partners, volunteers, and supporters who continue to help write the next chapter of those stories.

Thanks to the generosity of our community, Friend Raiser '26 raised more than $227,000 toward our $1.8 million annual operating budget. This incredible support helps sustain long-term professional mentorship and expands our reach to serve more youth across the Basin.

Every dollar invested helps create brighter futures and empowers youth to write their own stories of resilience, hope, and success. Thank you for being part of this important work.

If you weren't able to make it to Friend Raiser this year, be sure to watch this video to catch some highlights. Stick around to the end for a tear-jerker finish by our graduate Tempe, who is headed to the University of Oregon on a full scholarship!