Bridge Chattanooga: March 4ward

Bridge Chattanooga's mission is to connect students to nature, create adventure, and inspire joy.

 

The vision for this program came from Ryan Keller, a friend and helper to everyone he met. Ryan died in August of 2017, but his beautiful legacy remains. Ryan's mother, Grace McLaren, took some time to share observations about Ryan's passion and his desire to serve:

 

"March 4th is the only date of the year that is an imperative, a command to march forward into your day and tackle the challenges at hand, to enjoy precious moments, to laugh, to cry and to breathe in the majesty that life offers. For Ryan Keller, the founder of Bridge Chattanooga, March 4ward was not only a command, it was his birthday.

 

My son, Ryan, marched 4ward into his passion for making the world a better place. He was never comfortable with “status quo,” he wanted the best for the people around him. He heard and honored his passion to make the world a better place; he heard his calling. He purposely chose to drive across the country to interview youth centers and to discern best practices for what is now called “Bridge Chattanooga." After traveling and gathering information, he settled in at Walloon Lake, Michigan, and covered the walls with flip charts filled with ideas and opportunities. He came upon the name as he wanted this organization to be a “bridge” for any young person to cross over into a better life. He “Marched 4ward” to begin this program at Dalewood.

 

Why would such a young man choose to take on such a challenge of building an organization from the ground up? Ryan told me clearly: “Mom, I want to give these kids a small taste of the childhood I had growing up.” We would load up the car with kids galore and go on endless adventures, hikes, and more. He wanted these kids to have a bridge to understanding moments of joy. He understood that joy did not only come from adventures, but it also came from learning to be still for eight minutes and listening to heartfelt yearnings.

 

His message of hope continues to flourish as the baton for Bridge Chattanooga continues to be carried by staff, parents, volunteers, and community partners. I do thank you for your conviction to not only “March 4ward” in your own lives with Bridge Chattanooga, but to continue to challenge Dalewood and Brainerd students to March 4ward as well! I could not imagine a greater birthday gift for Ryan than your continued support of this program. I am blessed every time I see the smiles of the Bridge kids. I am reminded of the grand smile that Ryan had - and I, too, am blessed to March 4ward."

All donations raised in March will assist Bridge Chattanooga with our 2022 summer programming, which will focus on helping our 9th-12th grade students build outdoor leadership and job skills.