In addition to its signature live auction, the event will mark the return of the Ball’s silent auction, always a hallmark of previous Buckaroo Ball events. Dancing will be to South By Southwest, supported by Don Richmond. Appetizers will be provided by Whole Foods Market Cerrillos Road, with the main menu from the Hotel Santa Fe.

This year’s Presenting Sponsors are Hotel Santa Fe Hacienda and Spa, Chalmers Capitol Ford Lincoln and the Santa Fe Catalogue.

On Saturday, June 16^th, the Foundation is hosting a free Buckaroo Barn Dance at the iconic Water Tower in the Railyard at 6pm. Headlining the Barn Dance is the Paula Nelson Band, a firm Santa Fe favorite playing their only Santa Fe date this year. Paula’s father Willie Nelson played the first ever Buckaroo Ball!

The Buckaroo Ball has raised $7 million for organizations supporting children at risk in Santa Fe County since its inception 17 years ago. In 2011 the Foundation granted $112,000 to 13 Santa Fe organizations.

“Taking the Buckaroo Ball downtown to the Railyard in 2011 was a great success,” said Foundation chair Carol Thompson. “Our guests really enjoyed the ambiance, the music and the opportunity to greet old friends. This year, we want to raise even more funds for local children at risk and create an even more enjoyable night.”

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“We really wanted to show our support for kids in these difficult times,” said Foundation chair Carol Thompson. “Children are the most vulnerable section of our population, especially during periods of economic hardship.  For example, around 1400 children attending schools in Santa Fe were homeless at various points during the 2010/2011 school year.”

“The Buckaroo Ball Foundation was started to help kids who were in need of care, nourishment, shelter and encouragement, and we are delighted to be able to continue that tradition,”Thompson added, “The Foundation has raised $7 million since it started, and we aim to keep raising more for many years to come.”

Buckaroo Ball Foundation 2011 grants will support the following organizations:

Cooking with Kids, Inc.

Fine Arts for Children and Teens (FACT)

Food for Santa Fe, Inc.

Gerard’s House

Impact Personal Safety

New Mexico Suicide Intervention Project

Outside In Productions

Partners in Education for the Santa Fe Public Schools

Santa Fe Community College ENLACE-AVID Program

Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association

St. Elizabeth’s Shelter

Villa Therese Catholic Clinic

Wings for Hope

The Buckaroo Ball (www.buckarooball.com) was founded in 1997 and has grown into one of the largest fundraisers in the Southwest.  The Foundation has raised $7 million since the first Ball, and is currently planning its next Ball for New Mexico’s Centennial Year of 2012.

Santa Fe, NM—The Buckaroo Ball Foundation Fund, a fund of the New Mexico Community Foundation, is accepting applications for 2011 grants to fund nonprofit organizations that serve at-risk youth in Santa Fe County. The deadline to apply is April 15, 2011

The Buckaroo Ball Foundation Fund distributes grants each year to nonprofit organizations whose programs benefit Santa Fe County at-risk youth up to age 18. Preference is given to organizations that have been in existence for 5 or more years and whose programs meet the following criteria:

• Programs that are year-round or after-school (vs. summer programs or single events)
• Programs that serve the greatest number of children and youth

• Programs that have a significant impact on children and youth
• Programs that are collaborative within the community
• Programs that avoid duplication of services in the community
• Programs that promote maximum efficiency in use of funds
• Programs that demonstrate a sustainable presence in their community, financial accountability and stability , and have a strong and effective board of directors
• Programs that have a clear and concise mission statement
• Programs that actively seek additional funding from sources other than the Buckaroo Ball

Applicants may apply for $8,000 to $12,000 to fund one program scheduled to take place between August 1, 2011, and July 31, 2012. Grants will be disbursed to selected organizations by August 1, 2011. Capital projects are not eligible for funding.

Since its establishment in 1994 by a group of dedicated volunteers, the Buckaroo Ball has granted more than $6.9 million in nonprofit funding. Past grants have helped organizations support at-risk children and youth in Santa Fe County through programs providing health care, housing, self-esteem and leadership development, family counseling, nutrition and food security, personal safety training, arts, music and other educational resources.

The annual Buckaroo Ball, whose proceeds help fund the grant program, is known as one of the largest and liveliest events in the Southwest. This year’s “A Little Bit of Buckaroo Ball” will be held June 17-18 at the Santa Fe Railyard and will feature two days of food, fun, music, art, movies and more for all ages.
To download an application for a 2011 Buckaroo Ball Foundation Fund grant, visit http://www.nmcf.org/?p=1466

For application questions, contact Denise Gonzales, NMCF Director of Community Philanthropy, at dgonzales@nmcf.org or 505-820-6860, ext. 12.

For information about “A Little Bit of Buckaroo Ball” on June 17-18 at the Santa Fe Railyard, or to purchase tickets, visit www.buckarooball.com

“In the last two years we got hurt by the economy, just like everyone else did,” Carol  Thompson said. “We had to cut back. We took a long, hard look at the event and considered the needs of the nonprofit community and the children at risk we raise money for who still need us, and asked, ‘What can we do to bring the Buckaroo Ball back but make it compatible to the economy?’

“We came up with the idea of ‘A Little Bit of Buckaroo Ball’ all over the Railyard as a community event.”

In the past, tickets for the three-day event reached $700 each. Tickets for the opening night gala at the Farmers Market Pavilion this year — including music by South by Southwest and food from the Hotel Santa Fe — are $100.

After a strategic review of its options, the Board of the Buckaroo Ball Foundation, Inc., decided to cease independent operations and become a donor-advised fund of the New Mexico Community Foundation, with the ability to raise funds and distribute those funds annually to qualifying organizations.  The Buckaroo Ball Foundation Fund will be advised and administered by an advisory board and will begin with an endowment of $1.25 million brought over from the current Buckaroo Ball Foundation, Inc.

The Buckaroo Ball Foundation today also announced a total of $115,750 in grants to 12 Santa Fe County agencies (listed below).  These agencies were designated beneficiaries of the 2009 Buckaroo Ball, which was canceled last year.

“We still care deeply for the needs of at-risk children, and want to continue to support agencies that share our concerns and objectives,” said Carol Thompson, a native of Portales, NM, who will chair the Buckaroo Ball Foundation advisory board, “While details of the Fund’s grant making policies have still to be finalized, we are clear in our mission and we intend to continue generating funds through various events and other activities to provide much needed resources for children at risk.”

Thompson continued, “We chose New Mexico Foundation because they shared our goals, understood our objectives, and had a structure that works for us. The donor-advised fund concept allows us to continue to do what we do best, confident that the administration, reporting and other ‘back office’ duties are handled with excellence.”

Jenny Parks, President and CEO of the New Mexico Community Foundation added, “We are delighted to welcome the Buckaroo Ball Foundation to our family of donor-advised funds.  They have a strong, well-earned reputation as an organization with a heart. The Buckaroos are dedicated to raising funds in a creative, groundbreaking way and then dispersing those funds thoughtfully, transparently and with minimal overhead.  We look forward to working with them as they continue, and potentially expand, their mission.”

For information on the New Mexico Community Foundation, visit www.NMCF.org

These agencies had been chosen to receive grants from the 2009 Buckaroo Ball, and were granted a total of $115,750 in today’s announcement;

FACT (Fine Arts for Children & Teens), Food Depot, Gerard’s House, Girls On the Run Santa Fe, Girls Inc. of Santa Fe, Heart Gallery, IMPACT Personal Safety, La Familia Medical Center, New Vistas, Outside In, Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association, St. Elizabeth Shelter.

The postponement of the 2009 Buckaroo Ball reduced the fundraising capacity of the Foundation considerably, but through direct solicitation and various events such as the Kentucky Derby Day Event among others, the Foundation has been able to support organizations which are themselves facing a severe financial shortfall.

Agencies receiving funds for this year are:

FACT (Fine Arts for Children & Teens), Food Depot, Gerard’s House, Girls On the Run Santa Fe, Girls Inc. of Santa Fe, Heart Gallery, IMPACT Personal Safety, La Familia Medical Center, New Vistas, Outside In, Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association, St. Elizabeth Shelter, UNM Cancer Research & Treatment Center/UNM Foundation.

“After 15 years of cooperating closely with over 200 agencies that do superb work with children in Santa Fe, we felt a strong obligation to do all we could this year to raise as much money as we could in an economic downturn and to recognize the vital efforts of these agencies,” said Barbara Damron, Buckaroo Foundation Corporate Chairperson. “Making the decision to cancel the 2009 Ball was a difficult one, because we knew it would be challenging to raise the hundreds of thousands of dollars we usually are able to obtain for these agencies. We hope that today’s grant announcement demonstrates our commitment to doing whatever we can to support the important work of caring for the welfare, health and development of children in Santa Fe County.”

Katrina Koehler, Executive Director, Gerard’s House said:

“Kudos to the Buckaroo Ball for continuing to raise money for at-risk youth during this economic downturn. This year’s grant to Gerard’s House will help fund our free weekly peer grief support groups and summer camps for children ages 7-10, and adolescents ages 11-14. All of these young people have experienced the death of a mother, father, brother, sister, friend, or other important person. It is powerfully healing for them to be in a safe, caring environment. They can work through their grief, supported by their peers who are also grieving, with play, talking and listening, art projects, memorializing rituals and drama.”

Alena Schaim, Exec. Director/Instructor, IMPACT Personal Safety said:

“Buckaroo’s support means that we will be able to continue providing bilingual classes to Agua Fria Elementary School children in staying safe with strangers and people they know, as well as help at-risk teen girls with the Self-Awareness School Support Group at Capshaw Middle School learn boundary-setting and self-defense skills. We know these skills change and save lives, so we are very glad to continue providing these important services to these two schools and others!”

David Lescht, Founder/Director at Outside In Productions said:

“Buckaroo Ball funding has been crucial to our Youth with Promise program which helps to transform high risk youth and juvenile offenders through a continuous series of music dance and visual art workshops.”

Sharon Askwith, Director of Development, La Familia Medical Center said:

“Pregnant women and children in Santa Fe County who are without health insurance and who do not have the ability to pay for medical/dental care are at-risk for both medical and dental problems. With support from the Buckaroo Ball Foundation, La Familia Medical Center’s ‘Healthy Children’s Initiative’ program’s goal is to provide the medical/dental care for these women and children regardless of their ability to pay for services.”

Deborah Tang, Executive Director, St. Elizabeth Shelter. said:

“The Buckaroo Ball grant will aid our Sonrisa Family Transitional Living Program that provides apartments at significantly below-market rents for homeless families with children. Children under five are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population, and our Sonrisa program provides them with a home and full range of supportive services, including counseling, while their parents work with our staff to address and overcome the issues leading to their becoming homeless. Historically, 80 percent of families in the program successfully leave for permanent housing within their two-year stay limit.”

Buckaroo Ball Foundation is currently planning its 2010 signature weekend event Ball, and will announce details later this year.

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