A MESSAGE FROM VIP 17 - COLUMBUS
Dream Team 17, the 17th Vision and Impact Program (VIP) class of Next Level Trainings, developed a large scale community service project that we hoped would reach people and positively impact the lives of those who live and work around us. We witnessed the awesome work that past VIP classes have done and our aim was to dig deeper and aim higher than we had ever done before.
In order to create that impact, our team declared we would raise $117,000 in 34 days for LifeTown and support them in providing a safe space for students with developmental disabilities to learn.
Our work with LifeTown has impacted us in ways that we could never imagine. We have connected with our inner child and realized the value of having healthy and safe spaces to be our authentic selves. Because of this work, LifeTown’s students will experience a world of responsibility, hope, accountability and acceptance. Our team worked tirelessly to contact friends, family, businesses, and community leaders to support this cause.
Our Family Fun Day was extremely successful. The day was filled with food, connection, a silent auction, dancing, music, laughter, and joy. The day brought in slightly over $4,800 for LifeTown. Our team had incredible support from the community and received all auction items, food, and event spaces as donations so that every dollar could go directly to LifeTown.
On Improvement Day, the team took action at LifeTown and did everything we could to physically improve their space. There were new shelves put in, painting completed, general cleaning, improvements to the volunteer lounge, and reorganization of the kitchen and storage unit. The time put into these projects was deeply rewarding, and we plan to continue making improvements beyond the time frame of our official fundraising activities.
Every team member went out of their way to source donations and raise awareness about these children in our communities. Our team surpassed the original goal and raised a total of $135,206 for LifeTown in addition to collecting 1,868 tangible goods and volunteering over 3,776 hours in only 34 days.
Dream Team 17 is incredibly grateful for this experience to have worked with LifeTown and the amazing children they are supporting. We poured our hearts and souls into this project, sharing laughter and tears along the way and never letting anything get in the way of our commitment.
We are humbled to have worked with LifeTown for this community service project and be able to show the world that with love, anything is possible.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to our project and supported us through this process; without your support, none of this would have been possible. Our gratitude goes out to all of our coaches, staff, and members of the Next Level community for holding us high and encouraging us to dream big. We have learned countless lessons and created an experience that will truly last a lifetime.
See our recap photos and news coverage below!
