Dear Alumni, Friends, and Family
A five dollar bill can change the world!
In 1933, a simple gesture of kindness would come to change the lives of thousands of kids in the La Junta area. In the middle of the Great Depression, a group of scouts organized a club that we know today as the Koshares. It was in a time of lost dreams and diminishing hopes that these scouts staged their first performance in the basement of the St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. After the performance, Dr. Rex Johnston presented the scouts with a five dollar bill. Keep in mind, this was the Great Depression, five dollars was a lot of money for any person in those tough times.
With their first five dollars, these kids felt like millionaires; it gave these boys new hopes and new dreams; it helped build the foundation of one of the greatest youth organizations in our nation’s history. In the years to come, the youth of Southeast Colorado who participated in the Koshare Club along with their supporters built a dream organization forever changing the lives of young people in this desolate part of the state. These kids were introduced to a new world full of opportunities and potential. With the continued support of kind individuals, these kids were able to see more, do more, and travel more than most adults do in a lifetime. Most importantly, this support gave kids in the valley the belief that they are capable of far greater things in life.
A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove. But the world may be different, because I was important in the life of a boy.
To this day, the program has graduated more Eagle Scouts per capita than any Scout Troop in the world. Of their more than six hundred Eagle Scouts, ninety-percent of them have gone onto college; more than a hundred have doctorate degrees. The alumni have gone on to become judges, doctors, lawyers, military leaders, college presidents, business owners, and a number of Who’s Who in American leadership. This success was born through their efforts in the Koshare Club and through the generosity of supporters from around the world.
Today, you have the same opportunity to change the lives of children for the better, just as Dr. Johnston had eighty-three years ago when he became the first donor to the Koshare Club. Even the smallest act of kindness has the potential to change a child’s life forever. You have the potential to give a child a better world full of dreams, opportunities, and possibilities. In a single moment, you could change the life of a child who will grow into an adult and help shape the future of this world. You could help build a brighter future for generations to come with just a small gesture. Generosity to the Koshare Museum from supporters like you has done this and more for the thousands of kids who have become a part of the Koshare Program within the past eighty-three years. This unique program has generated millions of amazing childhood memories that continue to have a positive influence on the lives of many kids and adults to this day.
No one could have predicted the amazing impact of the Koshare’s first five dollar bill, but that first donation to the organization and those that followed continue to pay huge dividends to this day. Today, we’re asking our alumni, friends, and family to invest a small amount in order to help keep the dream alive and to continue supporting a youth organization with the mission of improving the lives of the kids who call themselves the Koshares today. With your help, we can continue to open doors of opportunity for youth growing up with limited possibilities in the small community of La Junta. With a donation of just five to twenty-five dollars per month, you can help make a difference in the lives of these kids. Just like our first five dollar donation from Dr. Johnston, your donation will continue to shape the lives of future generations for years to come.
Help Change the Life of a Child and Join the Cause Today!
From our friends, families, and alumni, we are asking each to consider a $5 to $25 donation per month. Each donation directly supports the mission of the Koshares to sustain their program to focus on the development of area youth as they build leadership skills, character fundamentals, and vital life lessons through the Koshare Program. Click the button button below to donate today. On the donation page, select the monthly donation box to make a continuous donation per month.
The Koshare Museum is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization and donations are tax deductible.
