"For fun, I painted, sketched, and carved all my life, but I did not choose art as a career. My sister did. My appreciation for the working artist is rooted in her career. I watched my sister turn a skillset and passion into work, enhancing our community with talent, ideas, and beauty. I want to give artists like her some financial breathing room to spend more time on their art."

"I am impressed and humbled by the medical care I have received during my time as a cancer patient. I am grateful for the many tiers of caregivers it takes to deliver good medicine. I feel the sincerity of those who transfer me from the ER to my hospital room, take my blood pressure, administer my chemotherapy, and design my treatments. It makes me happy to imagine celebrating one medical caregiver per year."

"My appreciation for music and writing strengthened as I watched my two daughters grow up writing and playing music. I witnessed them define and express themselves, dare to try, learn commitment and find joy. I also watched gratefully as their mentors supported and illuminated my girls’ chosen paths. I understand how essential these forms of expression are to oneself and one’s community, and I want to help local musicians and writers concentrate on their passion by offering financial support."

"I feel lucky to have studied literature at a small liberal arts college, but I feel equally lucky to have worked in various trades my whole life, making friends with and learning from others who did the same. As a kid, I earned nickels for digging, pruning, and planting in the garden; later, I cut and arranged flowers, and waxed and edged skis. In the summer, I stained facia from rooftops, and cooked, cleaned, and hauled supplies in Yosemite’s High Sierra camps. As an adult I built my own homes, leaning on the expertise of tradespeople who knew more than me. I have immense respect for people who work in the trades and would like to help more people find their way to meaningful work in these areas."

"In 1992, I was named to the US Olympic team in the demonstration sport of Speed Skiing. The Olympic Committee and the US Ski Team paid for my direct expenses. But during the year I won my bronze, I still needed multiple other jobs. I know first-hand that Olympic Athletes face serious shortfalls in funding for training and travel. I would like to help one Winter Olympic athlete every four years spend more time training and less time working side jobs to support their athletic careers."

"After living, working, and serving on non-profit boards in the Truckee-Tahoe community for more than twenty years, I witnessed the positive change that can result from just one inspired and driven individual. Oftentimes, these people work for entities that receive various forms of funding; sometimes, they are simply individuals, passionately working for an underserved segment of our community. Either way, they don’t do it for financial gain, but to make an impact. I would like to reward that good work."