ANNUAL APPEAL

Every day at Trackside, we open our doors to teens searching for connection, belonging, fun, and a soft place to land. Some come for friendship and most likely the food! Some come to lead a club or work in our cafe. Some unexpectedly pop in - not wanting to head home yet, asking how they can be helpful.

For some; Trackside is a lighthearted place to laugh, socialize and relax; for others it’s the only place they feel comfortable.

At Trackside we don’t just offer programs—we’re a place where teens find relief, joy, a sense of purpose and their people; where teens build their life-long story of self-worth and capability.

It’s why we’re so passionate and protective of the culture, conditions and people who spend time here. We know that the messiness and magic of adolescence shapes who we become—that these years set the stage for a lifelong story of mattering and potential.

This season, as we continue our steady trajectory of growth, we invite you to participate in the magic by becoming part of that story.

Last year alone, with your support we were able to:

Provide 2 Legacy of Love Scholarships to two High School graduates.
Create our first Summer Service Project. A group of teens, with the help of an expert treehouse builder, spent 4 days at Trackside building a TreeHouse for a Wilton family from Circle of Care.
Rescue & rehome the Debate Club, who lost their a Middleschool advisor, and offer these ambitious female high-school teen leaders a new home and a place to keep Debate Club going strong for our middle-school teens, at a drastically reduced rate.
Host 2 Pop-Up Burger Bars, all led by High School teen, James Lillis, supporting his culinary passion.
Support families during difficult times, allowing their teens to spend time at Trackside anytime, for any reason, at NO cost.
Provide financial aid to 3 families, so their teens could experience our summer travel trips.
Offer the highest number of clubs and had the largest number of high school leaders and volunteers than in any previous year.
Say YES to nearly all of the teens who come to us with their ideas.
Collect teen clothes to support the Open Doors Teen Clothing Drive.
Donate a percentage of profit from all our teen events to local charities selected by our teens.
Provide our football coaches a place to meet regularly.
Allow Safe Rides free use of our space every Friday & Saturday evening, making sure our teens get home safely.

As we look to the future, it’s important to us to remain a safe and welcoming place of belonging and relief for so many; a place that says “YES” to as many teens as possible, saving clubs that need a new home, offering extremely affordable programs, allowing teens to try out their ideas, offering financial assistance to our families.

With no town funding, the cost of living rising and more teens needing a place to feel safe and supported, we rely on you to help us remain a strong and important resource to this community.

Your support secures your place in our mission and our story - allowing us to offer even greater support to our teens and community. We invite you to invest in something deeply impactful and important, the shaping of a young person's potential.

With Gratitude,
xx Team Trackside