Dear Friends of Toughest Kids,
We are happy and humbled to be writing to you with an annual update about the Toughest Kids charity, funds raised, events, charitable activities and more.
We at Toughest Kids have been blessed with the job of carrying on the charitable legacy started by Charly and Kelli Schell. They founded and loved TKI, and we are determined to see it thrive. We all know one thing for sure…Charly and Kelli changed lives and will continue to do so with their incredible legacy of kindness, generosity, dedication and courage.
As you know, donations in their memories poured in What a testament to how much they were loved and respected. As a Board we knew we needed to take the time to carefully consider how to utilize the funds in the very best way possible. As 2022 came to a close, we settled on three initiatives to begin to honor these truly extraordinary individuals.
The Archery Range at Camp Kamassa
Mississippi’s Toughest Kids and The Kitchens Family had a special place in Charly and Kelli’s hearts. It is where they loved to give their time and energy. Mary Kitchens’ long-term vision has always been to establish a camp for all special needs. To provide a place where ALL campers will experience the fun, adventure, educational, and therapeutic benefits of traditional camping experiences regardless of their unique abilities. Ten years in the making, Camp Kamassa, the Mississippi’s Toughest Kids Foundation’s $28 million special needs camp, is in its final push. It will be the Gold standard of special needs camps. The Board of Toughest Kids chose to support the camp via the purchase of a Naming Opportunity in Charly and Kelli’s memory. Further, we chose the Archery Range because it is where Charly used to spend time volunteering. There, their children, grandchildren and thousands of campers will see a plaque commemorating them and the donation made on their behalf. The amount of the donation is $20,000. I have also attached a thank you letter from Mary Kitchens expressing her sincere gratitude.
Charles and Kelli Schell Endowed Scholarship
The North Georgia Military College, now known as the University of North Georgia, allowed Charly to challenge himself to new limits, and was where he and Kelli both spent time learning and becoming the people we knew and loved. Higher education and supporting others to achieve their goals seemed a perfect fit as we considered how to honor their memory. With this in mind, the Board started an Endowment Fund to provide an annual college scholarship in perpetuity at The University of North Georgia. The scholarship recipient will be chosen by the UNG Foundation members each year, some of whom knew Charly and plan to choose a recipient with him in mind. Even better, the line of communication is open for the family to be
as involved as they’d like to be with awarding the student the scholarship, meeting him or her on campus, etc. The recipient will be based on the following criteria:
- A sophomore, junior, or senior Cadet residing in on-campus housing and fully participating in the Corps of Cadets;
- in good standing with the Commandant and the Professor of Military Science (PMS);
- actively pursuing a commission in the US Armed Forces;
- with demonstrated leadership potential and high moral character, as determined by the Commandant and PMS.
- The recipient must have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
- Preference is given to a cadet actively participating in the Mountain Order of Colombo.
- Where appropriate, financial need may be considered in the selection criteria.
- The recipient is eligible to retain the scholarship each subsequent year, provided the recipient remains eligible based on this criteria.
The endowment at UNG was opened with a starting balance of $25,500, which will begin producing a scholarship of 5% of the principal, or around $1,250 annually starting in 2-3 years. (It needs a couple of years to generate interest, which is where the scholarship funds come from.) In the interim (while the scholarship grows) the Board also funded three individual $1,500 memorial scholarships – one to be awarded each year from 2023-2026. Therefore, the first scholarship will be awarded to a student this Spring for school in August 2023! Here is more information about the Core of Cadets leadership program, which is a requirement of the scholarship recipient: https://ung.edu/military-college-admissions/index.php
Camp Corral Military Family Camp Contribution
Children of military parents know the meaning of sacrifice more than most. These children and families live to serve our country, and we are fortunate to be able to give something back. In Charly and Kelli’s memory, through the Camp Corral Foundation, TKI will sponsor two summer camp scholarships for children of military families. The mission of Camp Corral is “to transform the lives of children of wounded, ill, and fallen military heroes by providing camp, advocacy, and enrichment programs.” TKI contributed $2,500 this year, which will allow two children of military service members to attend one of the two participating camps in Georgia at no cost to their family. We plan to repeat this donation annually. Here is more information about the non-profit organization: https://www.campcorral.org/.
The board is overwhelmed, honored and excited to be able to spread the spirit and legacy of Charly and Kelli in these ways. We hope these gifts also bring you joy and contentment as we honor those we loved. As always, please feel free reach out to any one of us with questions, comments, ideas or suggestions.
Sincerely,
Your TKI Family
Allison, Hank, Loren, Stephen, Carrie, Laurie and David
