The origins of this story manifested through a moment where I could have lost my wife. Our whirlwind romance led to marriage after a 3-month courtship. I fell in love with an avid runner and luckily she slowed down enough for me to catch her.

 

After experiencing some strange symptoms, my wife was initially misdiagnosed until she convinced a doctor to give her another test. Within a matter of hours, we learned that she could die at any time from a massive stroke or heart attack. Waiting was not an option – angioplasty and a stent were scheduled within two days.

 

As newlyweds we didn’t plan a honeymoon, but spoke about the possibilities of planning a funeral. In that instance, we discussed the legacy we wanted to leave. In that moment, the ideas of a foundation took flight.

 

Following my wife’s procedure and rehab, ideas were flooding my mind but I was too afraid to share out of fear that I would be dismissed.

 

I was overjoyed when my wife encouraged me to follow the vision of giving back to the community. While working for Parks & Recreation, I saw there was a chance to teach children about gardening, and after reaching out to some contacts we developed a collaboration with the local YMCA. It’s a cooperative extension to demonstrate best practices in agriculture to the youth. The pilot program was so successful that there were two classes taught the following year.