If we may, Sarah and I would very much like to fulfill the plans of building and populating new beds at the Community Growing Garden, which Aunt Judy Walden was a founding member.
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It is finally moving to its new location and we are sure they could use the infusing of $500 charitable funds - to help built the new garden bed structures.

I first remember seeing Austin, age 12, devouring Michael Pollan's first book Omnivore's Dilemma during one of our family's summer camping trips, to Lake George.

I knew that, since the age 4, Austin loved to endlessly read and interpret food labels - often to a good purpose.

When his sister Aidan was determined to be severely lactose -intolerant, Austin made it his prime mission to root out every lactose-laced product within 10 miles of her.

You would have been surprised at all he found with this sneaky substance.

But, he had that investigative eye and the determination to catalog/retain all that information.

And, he did with all foods he and, we, his family were thinking of ingesting.

Quality and purity of the food chain, it's responsible production and underwriting of those local growers dedicated to producing organic and/or free-range products was very important to Austin.

The idea of community gardening, CSA's and supporting locavore activities was very pleasing him.

That is my reason for wanting to create memorial garden beds in his inspiring, impactful memory

I would also like to have our family sponsor a young person, with the remainder, to attend a segment this coming summer's Workshops for Youth and Family.

Along with the ever-present love of a large family, I feel Workshop provided an amazing amount of insight and feedback to Austin's Cousins Sarah and Katie, as they navigated through the challenging teenage years.

To give that gift to another family, in Austin's memory, would be the best charitable gift I can imagine.

As long as Dr. Franny (Frances Mills-Yearger) is in charge of the program - I would like to support Workshop.

With humble love and deep appreciation,

️Aunt Leigh

Isaac 
There are three organizations I’d like to suggest this year:
1. $500 for Science in Society, Northwestern’s science outreach center. I volunteer through SiS in Evanston’s high school, and it’s just a fantastic program for getting young kids of all ages and backgrounds excited about science. Donate here.
2. $250 for the Biobricks Foundation  which is devoted to advancing and democratizing biotechnology, particularly synthetic biology. In addition to running the premier SynBio conference series, the Biobricks Foundation maintains the OpenWetware Wiki, an online resource that makes learning any bio-related protocol free and super easy. Donate here.
3. $250 for iGEM, the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition. I think Austin would quite enjoy this program, wherein student teams from high schools and colleges compete to produce a useful biological machine/tool/device. The students also perform an extensive analysis of the ethical implications of their device. Donate here.
Merry Christmas, love and hugs!
—Isaac

Nora
Hi Gregg, Laurie, and Aidan,
Thank you for once again inviting me to be part of this Christmas tradition. In Austin's memory, I would like to contribute $1,000 to Camp Phoenix, a summer program that aims to reduce the achievement gap between low and high-income youths. I first learned about this summer program form Daphne, a friend who has worked with the organization and who can attest to the great work Camp Phoenix is doing.
Camp Phoenix's website:
http://thecampphoenix.org
Daphne's Camp Phoenix fundraising page:
https://rally.org/CampPhoenix2016/c1KhOrAB60v/daphnemartschenko
Thanks again,
Nora
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Mark and Susan

For sure, we want to give $250 to OPB/PBS. They put so much quality broadcasting out there, I don't know what our society would do without them. Of course we love Downton Abbey and similar classics, but find their programs on nature, ancestry, American history, science, and critical issues like climate change increasingly important.

Also send $250 to the Goodplanet Foundation.


Mark Maskeri

Thank you for again inviting me to be a part of this; it's a wonderful project, and I'm touched to be able to contribute.  

After giving it some thought, I would like to direct $500 towards the Alzheimer's Association and $500 towards the American Chemical Society's Project SEED.  Both charities, scientific humanitarian efforts, embody a deep curiosity and passion for chemistry and chemical biology that I think embody Austin well.

​My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family now and always,
Mark


Jeremy Schofield

Thank you for once again letting me participate in Austin's 12 Days of Christmas. This means so much to me and though it's difficult, I'm honored to be a part of it.

I've chosen two charities to split the donation.

First, I'd like to give $500 to the Wikimedia Foundation. I feel that the spirit of the Wikimedia Foundation is to make knowledge accessible to everyone. I think Austin embodies this same spirit with his love of learning and sharing knowledge.

The second charity is Earthplace Nature Center in Connecticut. This one is more local for me and does a lot of good conservation work and provides outdoor education for children. I picked this because of Austin's love for nature and spreads his passion for science to a new generation of scholar.

- Jeremy