Tim Brauch Foundation Scholarship Recipient: Drayden Gardner

The Tim Brauch Foundation offers scholarships to Woodward West, the premier action sports training camp and facility in Tehachapi, California. The first person to receive a scholarship from the Tim Brauch Foundation to attend Woodward West was Drayden Gardner from Southern California. He was 15 years old when he received the scholarship and he received it a second time the following year. Drayden has been skating as long as he can remember. He loves skateboarding because “there are no rules and you get to just be yourself.”

Drayden said he thinks the Tim Brauch Foundation is amazing because it allows kids like him to go to Woodward West who wouldn’t normally be able to go. He said that receiving the Tim Brauch Memorial scholarship has shown him that hard work pays off and it has influenced him to try to give back to his community.

All applicants are considered on a variety of factors: community service, financial need, school performance, and an essay. The Tim Brauch Foundation Woodward West scholarship recipients are also required to volunteer service hours in their local community.

Cindi Busenhart, Founder and Chair of the Tim Brauch Foundation, said the board asks scholarship recipients to volunteer because, “Giving back to the community is so important for many reasons. Volunteering brings people together and is teamwork building. Most importantly understanding the needs around you helps build empathy and helps promote leadership and diversity.”

Tim Brauch Foundation Scholarship applications will be accepted through May 1st, 2016. You can find an application at www.timbrauchfoundation.org or on their Facebook page.

Tim Brauch Foundation receives a $3,000 grant

The Tim Brauch Foundation was awarded a grant by the Sara & Evan Williams Foundation, a private independent philanthropy foundation in San Francisco started by cofounder of Twitter, Evan Williams and his wife, Sara.

The proposal for this grant was written by Aptos High School student and Tim Brauch Foundation junior board member, Kiana Radliff, and assisted by Mount Madonna student, Izzy Thomas. The grant writing was overseen by board member Tim O’Neil.

The mission of the Tim Brauch Foundation is to create scholarship and leadership programs for kids who show self-respect, meet challenges with perseverance, independence, creativity and integrity. The Tim Brauch Foundation raises funds in a variety of ways. The primary source is proceeds from two annual Tim Brauch Foundation Skateboard Contests at the Lake Cunningham Regional Skatepark in San Jose, CA and at the Tim Brauch Memorial Skate Park in Scotts Valley, CA. The organizers of the Tim Brauch Foundation also hold an annual drive.

The majority of the funds raised are used for the Woodward West scholarship program, but the Tim Brauch Foundation has also been involved in other projects, such as helping to raise over $400,000 for the Tim Brauch Memorial Skatepark, which opened in Scotts Valley in 2004.

If you would like to donate to the Tim Brauch Foundation, 100% of your donations will go to support sending kids to Woodward West. Monetary donations can be sent directly to: PO Box 1807, Soquel, California 95073.

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For questions about giving or to find out other ways to help the Tim Brauch Foundation fulfill their goal, send an email to info@timbrauchfoundation.org