We Believe in the Power of Positive Peer Influence.
The Ryan Pappas Memorial Foundation was founded in 2015 in Memory of Ryan Pappas. Ryan was killed on September 1, 2014 three days after his eighteenth birthday and the start of his senior year at Palmer Ridge high school (Monument, CO). The weekend of his death was the first time that Ryan had attended a high school party – he did not drink at the party… but he got into a car with someone who was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana. Two of the four boys in the car were killed, Ryan and Beau Beiger. Ryan made some “right choices” but ultimately the price Ryan paid for his “not good” choice was his life.
We started the Ryan Pappas Memorial Foundation to help prevent tragedies like this from happening by offering our high school students safe places to gather with friends that are free from drugs and alcohol and encourage them to use positive peer influence to counter the pressures of high school “partying.”
Real Alternatives to Drugs and Drinking
Since our first safe and sober night in Spring 2015 we have had over 45,000 students come to through the doors to RAD events. In the Fall of 2015 we started a partnership with the Pike Peak YMCA to have a consistent place to hold the safe and sober activities. In Fall 2016 RAD programs started to be offered more frequently on Friday nights and our student leadership had been able to attract an average of 200 students (or more) every week. We are on a mission to get back to this level of impact. Our students are saving lives!
Since COVID our RAD team has worked tirelessly to bring RAD back to pre-COVID levels. The 2022-23 school year saw some challenges and changes but our student leaders persisted and the Monument community continued to offer incredible support. We are super excited for the 2023-24 school year as a new strong and dedicated team of RAD leaders have emerged with a passion for, and dedication to, the RAD mission.
Ryan Pappas Memorial Foundation Scholarship
At this time we have suspended our Scholarship to focus resources on rebuilding the rad program.
Thank you for your interest, we hope to be offering a scholarship again in the near future!
The RYAN PAPPAS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION is seeking to grant two $1,000.00 Scholarships to Lewis Palmer School District 38 seniors (one for Palmer Ridge and one for Lewis Palmer). Each scholarship will be awarded to the candidate who demonstrates character and kindness in their life, and has a desire to further their studies through continued education opportunities (academic or trade school).