“Everyone sees the glory moments, but they don’t see what happens behind the scenes.” 

April 19-25 is Volunteer Appreciation Week and The Kyle Pease Foundation wants to take this time to send out a very special thank you to the hundreds of volunteers that make it possible for our athletes to race each year. 

In 2011, The Kyle Pease Foundation was founded.  The Foundation had no employees. Lots of helpers and loyal supporters pushed Brent and Kyle to expect more out of the race community.  Over the last 10 years, hundreds of individuals have helped us not only assist athletes on race day, but help them outside of racing and in our own community.  Without this support, KPF might not be here today. 

As you can imagine, the planning for our races start long before the actual event day.  Marketing, managing registration, assigning equipment, coordinating teams, packing the truck, and then getting everything to the event (sometimes across the country!) is a process.

Once all of this is done, it’s time to line up and start the race.  For every in-chair athlete one or more volunteers are needed to run the race, support our athletes during the race and get them safely across the finish line where the entire KPeasey Nation is cheering them in.. and usually their parents too!  

Everyone sees the glorious moment of an athlete crossing the finish line… but the work is not done.  Our team and volunteers get our athletes out of their race chairs and back to their everyday chair. Then the clean up begins by wiping down the equipment, loading the chairs and other equipment back on the truck, and heading back to the warehouse.  Once at the warehouse, the unloading, maintenance and organizing of chairs is completed.  

This process is long, involved and more work than one person can do.  Our small staff isn’t enough to make all of these moving parts come together for our athletes.  Because of this, KPF leans heavily on our volunteers and the amazing community that is needed most.  

Words on paper or social media will never be enough to properly thank our volunteers that dedicate their time and energy to The Kyle Pease Foundation.  We hope that as they read these words, they hear the gratitude that is forever in our hearts to each of them.  We hope that our families, athletes, staff and supporters make it a point at the next event to say a special THANK YOU to the volunteers they encounter that day.  

Afterall, we are family. Without each and every unit of this organization, we would not be able to show the world what inclusion and The Kyle Pease Foundation are all about.  

Together WE wheel!