Andy Wiener describes the Frost Valley-Rochester project

The Why is easy. Because you cannot expect to have a fulfilling life if you are focused only on yourself and the things you need to survive. Perhaps some people can, so I guess I should speak only for myself. I could not. Actually I could - but "surviving" sure does pale in comparison to "living." I should have paid heed to the Winston Churchill quote years ago when I first came across it - "You make a living by what you get... But you make a life by what you give." To that I might add, "And you will neither make a satisfying living nor have a full life if you even attempt to avoid Giving." So for me personally, that is the Why.

Once I grew to understand and accept Why, the rest fell into place.

Where came next. And where else to start but in your own community? Besides, how long could I live here and watch the local news every day and learn that young kids in the city are killing each other at an alarming rate? I was already volunteering with Sophie's elementary school 5th grade "Helping Hands" program, so the sister school in the city was the place to start. This school population loses 5 parents every year to violent crimes. The city of Rochester, NY has more gang members per capita than Los Angeles, CA. And the gangs here start recruiting at age 4. That's Why my own community was Where. The other side of the Where coin was always going to be FV, I just didn't know it yet.

How coming together felt like the alignment of the stars. How came in the form of a few friends who valued their own local summer camp experience and who had a growing desire to "do something" about the city violence damaging the larger community in which they spent their whole lives. I was just the new guy making an observation, but these were the families who spent two or three generations supporting this community. So when I told them that I intended to form the Rochester / Frost Valley Partnership they were on board instantly.

All I had to do next was walk into Where, the elementary school in the city, and get them to see that if they wanted to be my Where, they had to also be part of the How. I spoke from my heart when I met them: "I have absolutely no experience whatsoever with fund-raising," I said. "I have only a passion for Frost Valley and a desire to make a difference in my community. Give me 20 minutes of your time, watch this Frost Valley DVD with me and when it's over we'll figure out how to send some kids here."

So practically, the How was this: The school was eager to get free outside assistance from a concerned citizen and see this program get off the ground. They helped select some of the most deserving kids in the school. I invited Lea Kone to come to Rochester and present Frost Valley to two groups of people: My Potential Donor friends and the families the school helped choose as Potential Interested Families. I raised private funds for 4 kids to go to camp for 1 session, the school identified 4 interested families, Lea presented and it all came together in about three months.

That's how we did it. Now I'm on to learning how to secure grant funding from the government, private organizations and public companies. I'll enroll the school's community to take some ownership and raise some of their own funds. I'll enroll my friends to help me further by continuing to donate and by helping me organize the dinner parties, golf outings and auctions.

Here's another of my secrets - Kennedy used it to inspire the country in his day, he got it from Twain, and Twain got it from the Romans: "Throw your hat over the fence." Once your favorite hat is over there, you have no choice but to go over yourself and get it. Take stock of your ego, identify your motivations and "throw your hat over the fence" by opening your mouth and telling the world Who You Are and what you intend to achieve. With that figurative commitment firmly in mind, you then must "go over the fence" and achieve your goal. Others will be inspired by your passionate conviction and become invested in helping you. Then there is simply no turning back. I'll keep you posted.