Heroes

Most of us have had heroes in our lives that we’ve idolized and done our best to emulate.  Yours might have been an athlete, teacher, musician, business leader, or parent but, regardless, heroes can play an important role in our lives by providing encouragement, motivation, and an example to which we can aspire.

As a non-profit organization dedicated to investing in the lives of young people, we’re constantly on the lookout for heroes.  Those who volunteer their time here to make a difference in the lives of our visitors are certainly heroes in our book.  But at this time of the year, during our annual birthday celebration and fundraiser, our thoughts turn to another kind of hero:  those who can support our efforts financially.

In the nearly four years that we’ve been in existence we’ve hosted more than 17,000 individual young people during our regular open hours.  Our mission to provide a safe, exciting, and encouraging place where young people can invest time and build community has certainly resonated throughout our community.  The fact that we let kids in the door for $5 doesn’t hurt, either!

It should be obvious, though, that it costs us much more than $5 per visitor to operate this place.  In fact, our admission fee generates less than 20% of our annual budget.  The remainder is made up from a variety of sources, including fundraising.  As a charitable organization, we actively fundraise and, in fact, we will need to bring in nearly $200,000 in gifts this fiscal year to meet our budget.

We believe that there are those among us who have the means, passion, and desire to play a significant role in the lives of young people through the act of giving.  In other words, heroes.  Please consider making a charitable gift to the 3 Mile Project as part of our annual fundraising initiative.  You can give online by visiting www.3mp.org or you can send a check to us at 3050 Walkent Dr. NW, Grand Rapids, MI, 49544.  We’re looking for heroes just like you!

– Stan, Executive Director