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For more information on the Festival of Trees call us at 541.677.4818 or email us at info@mercygive.org.

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Andy Helmer – Festival of Trees 2022 Youth Ambassador

Over the last 28 years, Mercy Foundation’s Festival of Trees has raised more than $5 million to benefit youth and families through programs that promote health and wellness.

One of those families is J.D. and Andy Helmer.

Andy’s story is one of overcoming adversity with the love and support of a dedicated father and help from friends, community and Mercy Foundation.

After an accident left Andy paralyzed from the neck down, his father J.D. devoted himself to helping Andy. They share an unbreakable bond and indomitable spirit. Andy has gone from depending on a ventilator to breathing on his own. Now Andy is receiving stem cell injections that have helped him regain strength and movement. These treatments have been made possible in part through the financial support of Mercy Foundation and the Festival of Trees.

From helping a young man find a more promising future and giving thousands of Douglas County children a reason to smile through preventative dental care to supporting youth struggling with Type 1 diabetes and meeting the challenges of delivering services through a pandemic, Mercy Foundation is committed to keeping all kids safe and healthy.

“I slept and I dreamed that life is all joy. I woke and I saw that life is all service. I served and I saw that all service is joy.” - Kahlil Gibran
“Everybody wants to save the Earth; nobody wants to help Mom do the dishes.” - P.J. O’Rourke
“If you were born with the ability to change someone’s perspective or emotions, never waste that gift. It is one of the most powerful gifts God can give — the ability to influence.” - Shannon L. Alde
“Being innovative in your philanthropy allows you to stride forward in your giving journey; you can marry your mind and heart to turn charity into lasting impact; and you can become more ambitious in your giving.” - Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen
“Never respect men merely for their riches, but rather for their philanthropy; we do not value the sun for its height, but for its use.” - Gamaliel Bailey
“ Philanthropy is involved with basic innovations that transform society, not simply maintaining the status quo or filling basic social needs that were formerly the province of the public sector.” - David Rockefeller
"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill
“The results of philanthropy are always beyond calculation.” - Mary Ritter Beard