Gary Wilson

Every non-profit organization needs that one special person who takes them under his wing – nurtures them – tells his friends about them – brings his family to see them – spends countless hours with them – and oh yes, funds them.  For Strive this one special person is Gary Wilson.

For almost 20 years now Mr. Wilson has done all this and so much more.  Far more valuable than the funding he has provided has been the patience & understanding, the talks, travel and time he has generously given us.  Throughout it all his refrain has been “how can we serve more kids – more kids – more kids ?  I emphasize his patient understanding because he has been gracious in allowing that volume is not the key to effectively helping our students – quality is.  Mr. Wilson has enabled us to develop and deliver quality to our students.

In the last few years Mr. Wilson has provided challenge grant funds that enabled us to raise more than $1.3 million.  His faith in our efforts cannot be measured.  One thing that can be measured….between students, staff & extended family coming in and out of Strive every day there are hundreds of souls improving their lives & benefiting from his committed involvement.

We all thank you Mr. Wilson. A little bit about his career can be found here. 

Jana Merical

“Silence & solitude – clear mountain lake water so warm you think it’s tropical – moonlit nights and too many stars to count – a lake house just feet from the water – all this and more is what Jana does for Strive and for our kids.  As a Board member and donor to Strive, Jana has donated the use of her Bass Lake home to Strive for several years now. 2020 will mark the 17th year we take kids to Bass Lake and to Yosemite.  What began as a small getaway for 5 or 6 kids is now a Strive tradition which has grown to a group of 30 students.

Jana recognizes the magical childhood memories these trips provide our kids – memories that will warm them for a lifetime… and who knows, maybe even influence lifetime goals and the healthy choices they will make to reach them…!

As if this is not enough, Jana also hosts nearly 100 of our students every summer for her annual Beach Party.  From her home on Alamitos Bay in Long Beach, our kids get to experience Jana’s warmth & enthusiasm, her home & hospitality and lots of sun & swimming.

Thank you Jana. Everyone at Strive loves you.

We give tremendous thanks to our first corporate donor, Pacific Western Bank. When our relationship began well more than 20 years ago, the Bank was small, operated under a different name and was headquartered in Santa Monica. It has since grown to become one of the largest banks in the state of California with operations nationwide.

Pacific Western Bank was also the lead sponsor of our 25th anniversary event in 2015 whereby George Winston performed at Strive for our donors, staff and students.  The bank’s executive team is very supportive of Strive and have visited with our kids many times. Pacific Western Bank and Senior Management clearly have a heart for our students and the thorny challenges they navigate.  Their faith in our efforts and their investment in the futures of our students is deeply appreciated and we thank them sincerely.