The RAKMF was established in late 2003 after completing the necessary steps to gain our tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service. The foundation was named in honor of our 6-year-old son Ryan, who died suddenly and unexpectedly of heart disease on January 25th 2003. The worst day of our lives.

Shortly after Ryan died, my brother Pete asked if we would be setting up a foundation. At first we said no, the pain of having to do anything related to our son's death was too great. A few months later, we floated the idea of funding the build out of a park in our town, and talked about other ways to help kids and be charitable. Friends and family embraced the idea and soon funds started to come in. Through their gracious support, the Ryan Andrew Kaiser Memorial Foundation was started.

The Foundation Has Three Goals:

1. Financially assist local families with critically ill children, who may not otherwise be able to afford proper healthcare
2. Provide Grants & Funding to doctors and hospital groups that specialize in the care and cure of pediatric heart patients.
   According to the March of Dimes, the #1 birth defect in children is Congenital Heart Disease-CHD
3. Fund, plan and build childrens playgrounds. In our new partnership with GameTime, the worlds largest playground manufacturer, the Ryan Andrew Kaiser Memorial Foundation is building safe places for children to play! We have been involved in four new playgrounds to date and are continually looking for new projects on the East Coast.

The RAKMF is run by a group of 5 Trustees that regularly discuss projects for financial consideration. Currently Institutional grants are paid out one time per year and individual requests are fielded through our web site and funded periodically throughout the year. The use of funds is strictly controlled by our by-laws; We are looking to economically support the three above areas.

Through this web site, we will keep our friends, family, sponsors and donors informed as to our progress. Should you wish to make a donation, simply follow this link-donate

If you have thoughts about the RAKMF, or ideas that may help us achieve our goals, please email us at: ryansrun@mhipartners.com

Or call between 9:00am and 5:00pm EST toll free: 732-291-3188

Andy Kaiser