About Us
Guidelines for Activity Grant Seekers
Live Fearlessly aims to both inspire and enable young people with cystic fibrosis to get involved with extracurricular athletic activities of their choosing in order to build self confidence. We do this because cystic fibrosis affects about 35,000 people in the United States. It takes not only a serious physical toll on someone, but also an emotional one. We believe that by getting as many people with cystic fibrosis involved with activities which they may not have thought possible due to their condition, such as surfing, golfing, yoga, and sailing, we can help break down the mental barrier that exists for many and build self confidence.
Eligibility
Consideration is given to anyone living with cystic fibrosis that believes their choice of activity can benefit their health and potentially be something the participant decides to engage in on a consistent basis.
Service Area
Live Fearlessly Foundation is willing to help any person living with cystic fibrosis wherever they may live.
Funding Strategies
- Addresses physical exhaustion and therapeutic benefits
- Can be sustained without continued funding from the foundation
- Improves the quality of one's life
- Can be seen as encouraging or not possible to others
- Are creative and innovative
Application
Application only accepted from people living with cystic fibrosis. To apply for the Activity grant you will need to send an email or direct message through social media to the foundation and describe how your activity of choice benefits your CF. Also you will have to confirm that you are willing to send a video through social media or email of yourself saying your name, age, and why the activity benefits your CF. Along with some video of the activity. This is to help show the difference the foundation is making and encourage others with CF to create an active lifestyle for themselves.
Application Process
If you contact us prior to submitting a request for funding, we will offer information about funding history, grant guidelines, and the application and review process. Requests for funding will be reviewed by our staff and the appropriate grant committee prior to submission to the Board. All grants will be approved by the Board of Directors.
Our History
The idea of the Live Fearlessly Foundation was manifested while spending numerous hours and days in the hospital. I had got to a point in my life where I wasn't able to hold down a job because I would have 3 or 4 lung infections per year. So I decided to create drawings, paintings, and designs for t-shirts while spending time in the hospital to help time go by. My plan was to have an art show after recovering from my IV antibiotics, and sell the work that I had created to help pay for my bills. I then decided to call the event the Live Fearlessly Art Show. It was a huge success and I sold everything I had made. So the next time I was in the hospital I did the same thing again. After another successful event a friend approached me and said,'' What you are doing is really amazing and inspiring. Would you want to turn the Live Fearlessly Art Show into an official non profit?” I was thrilled to hear this and decided at that moment to make it my mission to through my adversities and resilience to not give up on myself help inspire people to do the same. Since then I have gotten a 501c3 for Live Fearlessly, sold hundreds of t-shirts, communicated with many parents of kids with CF and people with CF to help encourage them on their own journeys, and was able to sponor an up and coming CF surfer on a trip to California. Through numerous fundraisers around Wilmington, NC we were able to raise enough money to hire a CPA, an administrative manager. Along with having a tent set up with posters we made explaining what CF is and selling our t-shirts and jewelry to raise money for the foundation, my sister and I would get on stage and give a speech to raise awareness for CF. At the end of the year we were able to sponsor our first CF surfer, Bree Labiak, and send her on a surf trip to California. We hired a professional surf film photograpgher to meet up with Bree and shoot her surfing some great waves. We have big goals for the future and are striving to keep up our momentum. This year we plan to raise enough money to be able to hire someone with a degree in technical support so that we can utilize every online option to receive donations and spread word of our mission. Additionally we are pushing to put more content out on social media through events that we have planned, recipients of the surf lessons and surf trip, and a documentary about my journey that is coming out this year. Live Fearlessly Foundation firmly believes that once we get this program off the ground we will be able to make a significant difference in the lives of inspiring CF surfers.
Our Mission
Live Fearlessly aims to both inspire and enable young people with cystic fibrosis get involved with extracurricular athletic activities of their choosing in order to build self confidence. We do this because cystic fibrosis affects about 35,000 people in the United States. It takes not only a serious physical toll on someone, but also an emotional one. We believe that by getting as many people with cystic fibrosis involved with activities which they may not have thought possible due to their condition. Such as surfing, golfing, yoga, and sailing. We can help break down the mental barrier that exists for many and build self confidence.
What we do
This year we are inspiring people to follow their dreams by financially sponsoring the cost of their activity of choice. Other organizations that offer this service require the CF participant to come to their organization’s camp but we fill a gap by allowing the participant to live anywhere and sponsoring these activities wherever they may be.
There will be an application process for each person seeking financial assistance. This will be a short video of them saying why they think the activity will be beneficial for their health.