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Rising Strong Annual Report 2017 Giving children affected by homicide hope for a bright future.
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Page 1: Rising Strong - Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation€¦ · Rising Strong The Superhero Inside of YOU Heroes, to us at the Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation, are people who do the right thing.

Rising StrongAnnual Report 2017

Giving children affected by homicide hope for a bright future.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

OUR MISSION ................................................................................................ 02

HELLO ............................................................................................................ 05A note from the Doyle Family.

THE BEGINNING ........................................................................................... 06The Sheilah A Doyle Story.

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS ........................................................................ 07Leaders, mentors and friends of the Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation.

MEET THE SUPERHEROES .............................................................................10Conversations with 2016 campers and volunteers.

TRIUMPH OVER GRIEF ...................................................................................14Kids speak out to reduce crime and hate.

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS ........................................................................... 17The 2016 Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation scholarship recipients.

HOMICIDES IN CHICAGO: BY THE NUMBERS ............................................. 23

SAD FOUNDATION HIGHTLIGHTS & FINANCIALS ...................................... 24

CLOSING CEREMONY ................................................................................... 26How we drop the mic at Camp Sheilah.

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OUR MISSION

THE SHEILAH A. DOYLE FOUNDATION IS A

501(C)3 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE TO CHILDREN AGES 7-17

WHOSE PARENT, LEGAL GUARDIAN, OR SIBLING

FELL VICTIM TO HOMICIDE. THROUGH

OUR BEREAVEMENT CAMP AND OUR

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, WE

BELIEVE THAT WE CAN TRANSFORM A CHILD’S

TRAGEDY INTO A BRIGHT FUTURE.

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Hello!

Do you ever feel like the most obvious answer is standing right in front of you?

So it was for our family. When we began planning for our 2016, we realized it was time to dial back to why we started all this – the heartbreaking loss of someone we loved and lost. We needed to remember and take Sheilah with us on our grief journey.

We chose the name to build a legacy in Sheilah A. Doyle’s honor, a legacy that will continue across generations. With eager smiles, we welcomed our first group of campers to Camp Sheiah this past September! Our whole family came to camp this past year – Kevin, Bill, Jan, both Kellys, Kristin, Jeff, Elizabeth, Zach, Ava, and Jake. What a crew! It was important to us that we all be there at the start of Camp Sheilah. There was a catch in our throats when people saw our new name and logo – trees and stars representing that anything is possible flanked by dancing figures in graduation caps symbolizing our scholarship support for college-bound youth.

Another change came by way of how we architected the camp. We took it local by choosing to work with ChildServ, a social services agency with a century plus tradition of supporting Chicago-area youth.

This year, Camp Sheilah integrated more activities in nature like zip lines, high ropes and tree climbing. The kids loved it! We also lit Chinese lanterns with our memories written all over them. Hearts shifted as the little lights floated up into the sky to the loved ones we lost. The rhythm of something new and exciting ran through the entire weekend, confirming we had made some great decisions! The people helping campers understood the day-to-day challenges of Chicago’s streets, and that made a positive difference.

You can’t leave grief behind like an old notebook. You don’t outgrow it like a well-worn coat. You take grief with you. So this year everyone was given new titles for the journey. Jr. Explorers (campers) were paired with Explorers (mentors). Journey Leaders led small group discussions with Journey Leader Assistants gathering supplies and rounding up the troops for activities. Also, 15-20 year old Scouts helped Explorers and Journey Leaders during the weekend event.

Some described Camp Sheilah’s one-day parent program as “pure oxygen.” Parents can easily get lost in a family crisis. Adults can handle things, right? Well, that’s simply not true. We all need support. For the whole family to heal, cope and move forward with positivity, parents must first understand their own loss.

There is no script for living with grief. But we do believe that, together, we can find the courage to change the story line. With your support, the Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation will continue to do just that through our annual camp program – always and forever free to campers and parents – in addition to our college scholarship and community programs.

Our family is honored to walk side-by-side with all the families who experience loss by homicide.

Thank you for supporting our mission,

The Doyle Family

A NOTE FROM THE DOYLE FAMILY

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THE BEGINNING

Sheilah A. Doyle’s life ended on July 3, 1993. She was 40 years old. Her story, however, does not end there. For many young people and their families, her heart lives on through the Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation. This is her story … Sheilah was a nurse who worked the three-to-eleven shift at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, IL. One warm, July night, she was followed home by three men; their intent was to steal the hood from her 1993, black Toyota Camry. Just before midnight, as she pulled into her garage in Palos Park, the men demanded she get out of the car at gunpoint. As she pleaded for her life, one of the men asked her to get in the trunk of the car, shot her once in the back of the head, and left her to die. At 12:30 a.m., Sheilah’s husband, Bill, awoke. By now, his wife should have been next to him. As his feet hit the floor, he went in search of her, finding only her purse and nurse’s bag in the passenger seat of the car. The oldest of their three children, Kelly, 19, awoke as well. They called the Cook

County Sheriff’s police, who quickly discovered the tragedy and declared the garage an official crime scene. By now, Kelly and Bill knew the heartbreaking truth: Sheilah had been murdered. Hour after hour, Bill was questioned by police until, finally, as the sunrise spread its light, Bill faced the inevitable task of telling his other two children about their mother. Kevin, 17, awoke at 9:15a.m. that Sunday and started getting ready for Mass at Our Lady of the Woods Church. He saw his father at the end of the stairway sobbing and asked where his mother was. Bill answered, “She died last night. She was murdered and found in the trunk of her car in our family’s garage.” Bill carried Kristin, 8, into the family kitchen, sat her on his lap and told her that her mom had passed away. For seven weeks, the Doyle family lived in fear, worried that the person who killed Sheilah would come back to hurt them. On August 20th, 1993, the case was finally cracked. On August 21, 1993, two investigators arrived at the Doyle house to tell them a suspect was in custody. The Cook County Sheriff’s police arraigned three men in connection with the Sheilah Doyle homicide. The explanation from police was that it was a robbery gone bad. Each of the three individuals gave a written confession.

In the end, justice prevailed for two of the three men. The two individuals who ran up the driveway and forced Sheilah out of her car are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole in a Cook County Jail. The third individual, who drove the get-a-way car, was found not guilty.

For those who knew her, one of Sheilah’s most striking features was her beautiful smile. When she smiled, everyone followed suit—you couldn’t help but be awash with happiness and hope. It is by no coincidence that these very feelings are so often reflected on the faces of those we serve through the organization that now bears her name, the Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation.

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OUR BOARD MEMBERS

KEVIN DOYLE Founder & Executive Director Kevin Doyle is founder, executive director and president of the board of directors for the Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation. After losing his mother to homicide when he was 17 years old, he went on to study journalism at the University of Iowa. Entering the workforce during the dot-com era, he used his prior sales experience to land his first job in the IT world selling network equipment and services to Fortune 500 companies. In 2001, he co-founded 3Points LLC, an Oak Brook-based technology consulting company focusing on

helping small businesses grow, where he currently serves as president. He, along with his wife Kelly and sisters, Kelly Paroubek and Kristin Doyle, launched the Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation in 2009. The organization was named in honor of the Doyle’s mother, Sheilah, who was slain in the family’s garage upon returning from work one night as a hospital nurse. Their collective courage and recognition of the challenges faced by youth due to homicide inspired them to help others.

GREG COX

Founder & CEO of The Impact Foundry. Former President and Chief Operating Officer of Dale Carnegie- Chicago.

RONALD HOLT

Commander of the Special Activities Unit and Citywide Coordinator of the Crime Victim Assistance Program at Chicago Police Department.

DR. GARRARD McCLENDON

Professor at Chicago State University, Emmy Award Winning Talk Show Host, and Author.

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Board Members

TODD HOLLOWELL

Chief Operating Officer at Impact Advisors.

QUANICA A. MCCLENDON

Senior Engineer at ArcelorMittal

CULLEY SUMMERS, CPA

Partner at Wipfli, LLP

JOHN SKOPICK

Agent/Owner of The John Skopick State Farm Agency in Lemont

LORI SMITH, LCSW

Director, Victim-Witness Unit at Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office

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STAFF MEMBERS:

KELLY DOYLE

Co Operations Director

MAGGIE CARAVELLO Camp Director

KELLY PAROUBEK Co Operations

Director

JERI LAUREANO

Clinical Program Director,

in partnership with ChildServ

AMY COX

Administration Director

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Children of Chicago who have known grief from homicide, you are our superheroes.

Rising StrongThe Superhero Inside of YOU

Heroes, to us at the Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation, are people who do the right thing. No one is perfect. Heroes, though, take accountability for the choices they make. They strive to do good. They show resiliency, courage,

vulnerability. So when we see real people do the right thing, we look at them as heroes too. We respect them. We believe in them.

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BETZAIDA ORTIZCamper, Year 2, Age 11Favorite Superhero: Captain America

My hero is . . . My mom because she has worked so hard and like she always says “I’m doing all of this for you” and she’s like a really good role model. Superhero qualities I see in myself after participating in Camp Sheilah . . . I’m very social and I’m very supportive of my fellow campers. Rising strong means to me . . . If I do it, it makes me feel proud of myself. My superhero group was fun. We were The Flash! It felt like my family because everybody was supportive of each other and no one judged each other. Because like . . . when we were telling our stories, like if somebody started crying nobody was judging them.

If I could be a superhero, I would be: Wonder Woman. My special power is: Strength.

KELSEY STUMPFVolunteer, Year 2Favorite Superhero: Wonder Woman

My hero is . . . My mom because she is a very strong person, she is the one that held my family together after my brother passed away and she’s kind of the one that I go to and a huge support for my family and myself. Superhero qualities I see in myself after participating in Camp Sheilah . . . I’m strong, I’m helpful and I’m compassionate. Rising strong means to me . . . I think it’s kind of looking past all of the bad things that we’ve seen and kind of trying to be a better person despite some of the hate that we see in this world. My superhero group was . . . Team Flash! And yes, we had a blast. All of our campers were incredible. It’s amazing to see them grow over the weekend. Loved it!

If I could be a superhero, I would be: Wonder Woman. My special power is: Teleportation.

MEET THE SUPERHEROES - CONVERSATIONS WITH 2016 CAMPERS AND VOLUNTEERS

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Meet the Superheroes

MIKE GARSONVolunteer, Year 2, Age 27Favorite Superhero: Batman

My hero is . . . My family, like my mom and dad. Just even coming here and seeing all of these kids, it’s probably the most eye-opening thing. It’s like how young they are and how wise they are so I think that really the most inspiring thing to me in this moment is right now. Superhero qualities I see in myself after participating in Camp Sheilah . . . Being inspired to change. That’s a huge issue and hearing the Doyles speak about the problems that are going on in the city and how it is a problem that continues to get worse, I think I’m definitely inspired to change or to take action and try to influence change even if it’s sending one kid to camp or whatever it is to try to raise awareness of this issue. Rising strong means to me . . . Reinforcing what these kids know already. It’s important for them to just have an organization and other people to share these times with. I’ve only been doing this for two years, but even seeing in one year the amount of growth from some of the kids.

If I could be a superhero, I would be: The Teacher.My special power is: The ability to give other people superpowers.

CIERRA YOUNGCamper, Year 3, Age 16Favorite Superhero: Superman

My hero is . . . My mom because she is doing her best she possibly can to raise me ever since my dad has been gone and she is doing a wonderful job. Superhero qualities I see in myself after participating in Camp Sheilah . . . Strength, determination and courage. Rising strong means to me . . . I think it means being able to express yourself in a way that you want to and I think that when you have people surrounding you that can help you do that, I think that you can really rise strong. My superhero group was . . . I was in Batman and yes it was really fun. It was all of the older kids, all my friends. It was really fun and we had a great time.

If I could be a superhero, I would be: C Ya Later.My special power is: Teleportation.

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BRELYN MOORECamper, Year 5, Age 17Favorite Superhero: Superman

My hero is . . . My hero in real life is my aunt, Andrea Price, because when my mom passed away, my aunt has been there for me. She took my brothers and my sister and me in and she’s been taking care of me and helping me with everything I need help with and guiding me to the right path. Superhero qualities I see in myself after participating in Camp Sheilah . . . Well, I’m a leader, a great leader. I got different people to tell me that I was a strong leader and a strong supporter and helping a lot of people out this weekend. Rising strong means to me . . . Rising strong. It means, for instance, if you came from the bottom and you didn’t really have a strong support system and you grew up and matured and had surroundings that built you to make you even stronger. My superhero group was Batman and yes it was fun being in the group. I came up with the chant and it was just really good.

If I could be a superhero, I would be: Brelyn the Teleporter My special power is: Teleportation

JAYVON FAINTCamper, Year 4, Age 13Favorite Superhero: Superman

My hero is . . . My Brother. His name is Dante. Because he teaches me a lot of things. My dad died and I need a brother like that to stand by my side and I think he’s a great brother and I really appreciate him. Superhero qualities I see in myself after participating in Camp Sheilah . . . I see that I’m a brave, great and smart, funny and intelligent person! Rising strong means to me . . . Rising strong is like even though that you’re down, don’t be down. You’ve got to rise and stand strong and not be sad anymore and put a smile on your face and have happiness. My superhero group was Superman, and it was fun. It was the people in the group, they’re so awesome. Yeah, it was fun. We went on a scavenger hunt and doing stuff with them was fun.

If I could be a superhero, I would be: Jayvon the PranksterMy special power is: Telekinesis

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PHOTO CREDIT: Michele Kelly

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KIDS SPEAK OUT TO REDUCE CRIME AND HATE

I feel like we need more things like this for teens and for everyone to just get out of the streets and stop doing that kind of stuff. We need more community stuff like this. We need them all around so people can stop. – CIERA YOUNG

Maybe some people are angry or they have problems and they don’t know how to get it out, they’re not open about it. Maybe that’s why they’re doing stuff like that. – BETZAIDA ORTIZ

I think it starts with the children. So if there are kids growing up seeing violence, that’s all they know. So starting when they’re very little, letting them know that there is something more out there. Especially with Camp Sheilah, I think a lot of these kids have seen violence, they know what it’s like but we’re showing them that it can be better and that there is a brighter future for them.– KELSEY STUMPF

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There’s not one thing. I think that it’s an issue that everyone needs to be aware of and every single person needs to do the best of their abilities in whatever they do to stop it and there needs to be some type of unifying force behind that. In order to get people to understand the problem better, we need to unite together and figure it out, just really stop pushing it aside. – MICHAEL GARSON

By us all coming together and putting the guns down and all loving each other and supporting each other - all races, all cultures. – BRELYN MOORE

I think they can put the guns down and be respectful to the other people and come together no matter what color you are and no matter what race you are and just have fun and be yourself. – JAYVON FAINT

Gather together, show a lot more love, understanding. Desegregation and schools – opening all of them up. Come together as a city across all borders – north, south, east,

west and not be afraid to interact. – JAMILA HERARD

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THE 2016 SHEILAH A DOYLE FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Through generous donations from the The Behringer Better World Foundation and fundraising efforts, the Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation awarded two $5,000 scholarships for the 2016-2017 school year. Sheilah Doyle championed higher education and encouraged her own children to be lifelong learners. The financial hardship that follows loss by homicide underscores the importance of our scholarship program and the urgent need to show young people that knowledge clears a path toward a brighter future...

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2016 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

INFINITY RAMEY 2016 Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation Scholarship Recipient

Infinity Ramey was 14 when she first came to camp five years ago. Today, she is a 2016 SAD Foundation scholarship recipient and a first-year psychology major at Western Michigan University. Thoughtful, composed, quietly confident, she aims to be a forensics psychologist. Her siblings – Benjanae, Ralph and Chance as well as her cousin DeCari – have all attended Camp Sheilah.

CHANGES OVER TIMEWhen she first came to camp, it was with folded arms and a moody teenager’s stoic air. Nobody at home talked about the loss Infinity experienced when she was six years old. Before coming to camp, Infinity says, “I never gave people a chance to know me. I brushed it off. I didn’t need more friends. Camp made me a lot more open to people and allowed other people to get to know me.”

Prodded by her aunt and grandmother, she unpacked her bags in the woodsy cabin that first day with the notion that if she had to be there she might as well take something from it.

She was surprised by what followed. During the first camp, she actually had fun. The second camp the following year, however, was a tipping point. “I started learning after the second one that I was connected with other people,” she said. “After five years . . . I talked to everybody I went to camp with. I just know that I have someone there for me, not just family. It can be a friend, my big buddy. Someone is always there for me.”

Finding people outside her family who cared proved to be critical in Infinity’s grief journey. Like many children, she worried about her family’s feelings. Being sensitive to them made talking about her loss difficult. What if they were depressed? What if it hurts them to talk about

“Camp made me a lot more open to people and allowed other people to get to know me.” — Infinity Ramey

Scholarship Recipients

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their loss or bring up sad memories? She says people outside the family are different. “I just always had somebody who went through what I went through,” Infinity points out. “I’m not the only one who went through something like that.”

SCHOLARSHIP EASES COLLEGE BURDEN IN MORE WAYS THAN ONEInfinity was very grateful for the scholarship. It will help pay off her balance next semester on the heels of other scholarships. It also gave her confidence. Going off to college is a scary step for young people – you replace the comfort and security of home with navigating solo – but leaving home with a loss by homicide makes college even more intimidating. Infinity explains, “Everyone else’s parents come down for family weekend and it’s the mother and the father. I didn’t have that coming here. I have my stepfather – but you always want your father.”

She looked for a support group, but there was none. “There’s a lot of support groups for those who lost parents by cancer, for example, but they don’t have one for people who have lost someone to homicide,” she said. “I feel like they should have more support groups for people like me and my siblings. They should look at all the reasons why people don’t have a family member in their life. It’s a different type of trauma.”

In fact, she says there aren’t a lot of things out there in general. “A lot of people don’t get what we go through on a daily basis. Hopefully, more people will support this (the SAD Foundation) so it can help more people.”

CONNECTING MAKES A DIFFERENCEExperiencing a death in her family by homicide definitely influenced Infinity’s career goals. Like many scholarship recipients, she has taken her tragedy and used it for something good – to help her community. She likes talking to people and figuring out why they do the things they do. She

is intrigued by crime scenes and about finding the truth behind people’s actions; these are qualities important for a forensics psychologist.

As for her loss, she has learned to live with it as an “everyday” thing. “A lot of people who were there (at camp) – you never thought they would go through what they did,” said Infinity. Camp helped her deepen connections with people. One of those people includes the mentor and friend she was paired up with at camp, Kristie.

Do they still talk? Do they ever! “We talk all the time,” said Infinity with a big smile. “She came to my graduation. She lives in Illinois. She was talking about coming to the luncheon for the scholarship. She’s like a mom. She tried to make my bed at camp.” Infinity describes Kristie as nurturing, always there “whenever I need her,” a big support system. In addition to Kristie, Infinity also made a deep and lasting friendship with Brianamarie Trice, a college freshman who also earned a SAD Foundation scholarship in 2016. In talking about the luncheon, Infinity adds wistfully, “Hopefully, Bri can come.”

A FOOTPRINT OF KINDNESS“The mark I want to leave on this world is that I want people to know that I love to help people,” she says. She credits Camp Sheilah for bringing out this quality. By hearing other people’s stories – especially those from peers – she realized she was not the only one who grieved loss by homicide. She adds that after camp, she “wanted to help anyone I could who was going through what I went through.”

The SAD Foundation congratulates Infinity for her hard work in school and openness to positively influencing others. We have no doubt you will be a changemaker in this world! Way to go.

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BRIANAMARIE TRICE 2016 Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation Scholarship Recipient

A winter coat left behind at a party in the Englewood neighborhood. A husband and father turns around to go back in. Wrong time, there’s a fight. Words are exchanged. Tensions rise. Shots are fired. A future is gone in an instant.

It’s hard to believe that Brianamarie Trice, a 2016 SAD Foundation scholarship recipient, lived through such struggles. A political science major at Clark Atlanta University, she is confident, poised in her speech and hopes to someday put those skills to work in the courtroom as an attorney. She could be any college freshman searching at the bottom of a backpack for laundry quarters and cramming for final exams.

What led her to cross paths with the SAD Foundation, however, does make her story

unique. She was four years old when she lost her father violently, suddenly and, worst of all, without reason. For the next decade, she would search for understanding. Why had her father been taken this way? What could she have done to prevent it? Was she not worthy of even having a father?

A DIFFICULT ROADOne by one, these thoughts laid a path to a suicide attempt before the end of her eighth grade year. Briana – as friends she has met through camp call her – wanted answers. Instead, she found hopelessness, loneliness, anger.

“My first year going into camp, I was a freshman. The year before I had gone through a dark period,” she said. “I felt like I was unworthy for anything. Nobody understood what it was like having a family member killed for no reason at all.” Anger’s constant hum resonated above everyday life. Briana talks about disrespecting

“Camp helped me pinpoint the emotions I was going through and turn negative energy into positive energy.” — Brianamarie Trice

Scholarship Recipients

2016 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

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teachers and always pushing against life’s currents. Nobody understood where her emotions were coming from. She was frustrated she had no one to talk with.

FINDING HOPEThere’s a quote: “Without the dark, we’d never see the stars.” Briana’s darkest days began to clear after attending the SAD Foundation camp.

“Camp helped me pinpoint the emotions I was going through and turn negative energy into positive energy,” said Briana. “I learned valuable coping skills. I love to write poetry. Going to camp helped me develop that more. At Sunday service, they asked me to write the poem for the group at camp.”

The SAD Foundation helped Briana along her grief journey. “I look for the good in everybody. I don’t ponder on negative events. Now, I recognize those negative behaviors. I will not let anyone take me to the point where I am negative. I want to be true to myself when I go to sleep at night. I have to be optimistic and I have to always see the good.”

THE SCHOLARSHIP: WHAT IT REALLY MEANSBriana describes learning about the scholarship as a “graduation” all on its own after four straight years of attending the SAD camp.

“I felt honored. They recognized my growth and what it means to me to be part of their program. A surreal experience. I felt very grateful. The scholarship itself, the tangible monetary part will make a difference in my life because college is expensive. The significance of it . . . “ she hesitates, searching for the right words.

Then she finds them in a rush, bringing what she had first searched for at camp, just a handful of years ago, full-circle. “They felt like I deserved it,” she said with finality.

MAKING A DIFFERENCEBriana talks about her father in hushed tones. But then the lawyer comes out in her. And she addresses the reality behind the violence. “I was always angry that someone can take a life, not knowing if they are father, a husband, somebody’s daughter, somebody’s son, a pillar in the community. I’ve been angry that someone can judge that this person no longer has to live. That is what has affected me all my life. People don’t think about that. They don’t know the impact they are making. Throughout my childhood and my teen years and my adult life, I will never see my father again, he will not walk me down the aisle, he will not see me graduate.”

Briana ties together all her experiences at camp, her grief and her vision for her own life by saying, “I’m going into law because I want to change that position. There are children all over America and all over this world growing up without their parents and no one cares.”

The SAD Foundation stood for something different. “The Doyles showed me that someone cares,” she says. “That affected me because all my life I was looking for someone who cared. The Doyles really understood the notion of violence that can tear your world apart. I found a family and organization that cared. For me, my family told me I was loved and told me that I was wonderful. But even though that is extraordinary, it’s not enough and doesn’t replace my father. Having people outside my family who cared enough to help and had that drive . . . I think that is the most beautiful thing I have ever encountered in my life.”

Nice work, Briana, for taking your goals the distance! The SAD Foundation applauds your vision, your hard work and your positivity. You are a great mentor to others. Congratulations!

21

2017. Raising Strong - Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation

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Page 24: Rising Strong - Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation€¦ · Rising Strong The Superhero Inside of YOU Heroes, to us at the Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation, are people who do the right thing.

23

HOMICIDES IN CHICAGO: BY THE NUMBERS

Chicago is a beautiful city, rich in culture, history and business.

There is, however, a violent side that leaves victim families

struggling to overcome senseless tragedy. The Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation is a guiding light

for Chicago area children who have lost a parent, sibling or

caregiver due to homicide.

799

3663

11:03

90% - GUNSHOT

HOMICIDES OCCURRED JAN. 1 – DEC. 31, 2016

SHOT & WOUNDED PEOPLE JAN. 1 – DEC. 1, 2016

A PERSON WAS MURDERED IN 2016

HOURS

5.5%STABBING

4.5%OTHER

MINUTES

EVERY HOMICIDE TREND (LAST 8 YEARS)

CAUSE OF DEATH IN 2016 HOMICIDES: ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13 ‘14 ‘15 ‘16

SOURCE: HeyJackass

482 52

2

469

455 50

9

472

460

799

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SAD FOUNDATION HIGHLIGHTS

RAISED $30,000 AT THE CHEERS FOR CHANGE EVENT IN 2016

RAISED $10,000 AT THE FORE THE KIDS GOLF OUTING IN 2016

$30K

BIGGEST DONORS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015-2016

THANK YOU!

$10K

3Points, LLC

New York Life Foundation

Behringer Better World Foundation

Turner Foundation

American Province of Little Company

Electro-Motive Diesel

Make Corporation

AGA Properties

Low Voltage Solutions, Inc.

American Chartered Bank

18,000.00

15,000.00

10,000.00

7,500.00

5,000.00

4,000.00

3,550.00

3,300.00

2,950.00

2,900.00

United Parcel Service

First Choice Logistics, Inc.

Enterprise Holdings Foundation

First Midwest Charitable Foundation

Impact Advisors, LLC

Wipfli, LLP

Boeing Company

State Farm Companies Foundation

Horton Insurance

2,500.00

2,000.00

1,500.00

1,500.00

1,500.00

1,500.00

1,350.00

1,000.00

1,000.00

24

Page 26: Rising Strong - Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation€¦ · Rising Strong The Superhero Inside of YOU Heroes, to us at the Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation, are people who do the right thing.

FINANCIALS

7 Year SAD Foundation Performance

SAD Foundation Expenses(Fiscal Year: July ‘15 - June ‘16)

$200,000

$50,000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

$156

,773

.31

$172

,275

.52

$145

,137

.76

$178

,362

.24

$11,

635.

55

$-6,

086.

72

Income Expenses Net

Golf Outing - $17,590.36

Tree Trim Event - $1,979.82

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

Scholarships - $5,000

Administrative - $28,829.94

Camp Program - $93,192.07

2015- 2016

C4C Event - $31,770.05

25

2017. Raising Strong - Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation

Page 27: Rising Strong - Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation€¦ · Rising Strong The Superhero Inside of YOU Heroes, to us at the Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation, are people who do the right thing.

K evin Doyle stands up. He talks about how his heroes are all the kids in the room. They grin.

See, the kids are what it’s all about in this big open room that smells like tater tots. These heroes are turning grief into muscle. He cues a rap song by The Script called “Hall of Fame.” It reminds him of his superheroes, he says. Touched by loss but not defined by it.

(High piano keys. Violins swoosh like frosting. Get the tissue. Oh, yeah, here it comes)

YEAH, YOU COULD BE THE GREATEST,YOU COULD BE THE BEST,YOU COULD BE THE KING KONG,BANGING ON YOUR CHEST

STANDING IN THE HALL OF FAMEAND THE WORLD IS GOING TO KNOW YOUR NAME

***The Avengers leap on stage. A guitar plays softly. And, one by one, children let their hearts talk . . .

I’m here because my father died when I was two or three years old . . .My brother died when I was five . . .My brother died when I was seven and he liked to play football . . .My mother died when I was seven . . .My brother died when I was five . . .

Two kids swing each other around, smiling with their heads flung back, losing themselves in dance. They said the names of the brothers they lost. They danced in their honor.

***Six-time camper Brelyn Moore walks on stage. NOBLE. STRONG. INVINCIBLE.

First time at camp, my reaction was not as eager as it is now at camp. Listening to the stories and their tragedies . . . it makes me feel good they were brave to share their stories. When I first shared mine, I cried so much I could not finish my sentences but what I finally understood was that people were there to support me, my family . . . and I love you so much. This is my last year as a camper. Next year, I’ll show my support as a big brother . . .

CLOSING CEREMONYHow we drop the mic at Camp SheilahTake a seat in the large, wood-paneled meeting room here at Camp Sheilah. Yeah, over there is good. Behind the kids, giggly nervous about stepping on stage. Behind the parents and the volunteers. It’s time to close out this amazing weekend. Yeah, sit back and listen to the chatter fading into the carpet. You’re in for a treat. Here’s what hope sounds like. Here’s how superheroes dropped the mic at Camp Sheilah in 2016...

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Page 28: Rising Strong - Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation€¦ · Rising Strong The Superhero Inside of YOU Heroes, to us at the Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation, are people who do the right thing.

Whoaaaa. You can see awe in the eyes of the younger kids. Cool.

***The Flash. They are back. They are here. They are there.

1-2-3 TICK TICK TICKTEAM FLASHIt’s Camp Sheilah

***The Superman group show up brave! They fight evil born from emotions uncaged.

PEER PRESSUREDEPRESSIONANXIETYFEARSHAMEANGERGUILTINSECURITY

They scream them out as they triumph over them. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s . . . Superman. Inside all of us?

Yeah, inside all of us.

***Volunteer Alice Norris talks about love. She talks about the two deaths of her daughter. The day she was shot and the day they took her off life support. Alice’s poem was called “The Color of Love.”

It was written by the little girl whose beautiful mother stands bravely up on stage.

***Hello, Ninja Turtles! A woman in a cape says:

Sometimes in the quiet of the heart, to achieve a breakthrough, you need a little support from behind.

My shell doesn’t feel so hard sometimes. Does yours? But all these people around me add a layer of toughness, a layer of grit. Like I can do this.

***

Three boys break out in a hip hop dance. The crowd goes WILD.

***Whoaaaaaa and here comes . . . The Incredibles. Seven women from the parent program. They reveal their true identities:

Miss PositivityMiss DependableMiss SupporterMiss AdventurerMiss SpiritualMiss EnergyMiss Courageous

GO CAMP SHEILAH!

***One last time, Kevin Doyle takes the stage. Camp Sheilah is about to drop the mic.

I WANT ALL JR. EXPLORERS TO STAND. (oh, the cheers. oh, the whoops.)

YOU ARE THE REASON WE DO THIS. YOU ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND TO MY FAMILY AND TO THE COMMUNITY.

I’D LIKE EVERY PARENT IN THE ROOM TO STAND. I’M PROUD OF YOU FOR ONE SPECIFIC REASON: YOU LOVE YOUR KIDS. BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY ARE WHO THEY ARE TODAY.

LOVE IS THE CORE VALUE OF THE SHEILAH A. DOYLE FOUNDATION.

LOVE IS THE MOST SUPER OF ALL THE SUPER POWERS.

LOVE WILL SAVE THE DAY.

Drop the mic.

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Page 29: Rising Strong - Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation€¦ · Rising Strong The Superhero Inside of YOU Heroes, to us at the Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation, are people who do the right thing.

LOVE IS THE CORE VALUE OF THE

SHEILAH A. DOYLE FOUNDATION. LOVE IS THE

MOST SUPER OF ALL THE SUPER

POWERS. LOVE WILL SAVE

THE DAY. . .

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Page 30: Rising Strong - Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation€¦ · Rising Strong The Superhero Inside of YOU Heroes, to us at the Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation, are people who do the right thing.

The Sheilah A. Doyle Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides support

and assistance to children ages 7-17 whose parent, legal guardian, or sibling fell victim

to homicide. Through our bereavement camp and our college scholarship program, we believe that we can transform a child’s

tragedy into a bright future.

www.SADFUND.org


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