The Yay Foundation Spring 2023 Fundraiser!

Why YAY! is Needed

Many individuals from all walks of life face feelings of shame, isolation, and hopelessness on a daily basis. The worst thing in the world is to feel alone in one’s pain and to feel powerless to change the circumstances which are driving the pain.

When an individual has a traumatic experience or is in an unwanted life circumstance that they feel powerless to change, they can develop a base self-concept of shame. Too many people are in this painful cycle, which oftentimes leaves them feeling like they must suffer alone. When this happens, individuals feel helpless, unwanted, and alone in isolation. This can lead to anxiety, illness, addictions, depression, and in some cases death.

How We Help!
We believe that healing starts with an improved mindset and experiencing a sense of genuine care from those around them. We hope to create a difference in the clients' lives by...

1. Offering training focussed on building confidence and improving self-worth through research-backed tools and strategies
2. Arts education with an emphasis on encouraging self-confidence, self-discovery, and authenticity through creative expression
3. Connecting clients with trained facilitators for mentorship
4. Creating localized communities of empowered thinkers to foster hope, optimism, and empowered mindsets

YAY FOUNDATION STORY!
The Yay Foundation was developed with the help of the folks in Kalispell, Montana!

Aidan, the founder, and executive director had been good friends with a young comedian named Vincent Carr. Through Vincent, Aidan was able to connect with a new community of lifelong friends.

However, in November 2020, Vincent Carr tragically took his own life after a long battle with depression and suicidal ideation. As a tribute to him Vincent's girlfriend, Cara Elise, his best friend Nick Kynett along with fellow comedians Angie Krum and Aidan Park decided to organize a yearly comedy show in his memory with the lineup that Vincent had hand chosen at the final show he had produced.

In September of 2022, Cara Elise saw that suicide and depression was big problem in her Montanan community and decided to approach Aidan about bringing his YAY program to Kalispell. Cara, Nick, Angie, and the Montanan crew then ran a fundraiser and raise all of the money to start The Yay Foundation and handed it to Aidan in all cash (in a very Montanan moment).

The foundation was approved in record time by the IRS as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization!

PLANNED ACTIVITIES

Colorado Springs, CO- YAY PROGRAM 
June 2th -9th 2023

AIDAN'S STORY
The YAY Guy’s Joy Journey was born from the personal experiences of Aidan Park, the creator of the program. Aidan was brought to the United States from South Korea as an undocumented immigrant. He grew up in poverty in his grandmother’s government housing in San Francisco on $600 a month. When he graduated high school, he was still undocumented, so he could not get a job or go to college. These painful events were further compounded when as a homeless desperate young man, he was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 19. As a gay, HIV+, homeless teenager, Aidan identified that the two most painful aspects of that time were…

1. Feeling alone and ashamed.
2. Feeling powerless to change a desperate circumstance.

Luckily, he found a mentor who encouraged him to study empowerment and allowed him space to feel a sense of self-worth during an incredibly difficult time. Aidan has been able to cultivate a joyful and successful life. Aidan is an award-winning keynote speaker, best-selling author, internationally headlining comedian, and creator of the brand “The Yay Guy” in which he advocates for joyful living. Aidan’s best-selling book (with a foreword by Margaret Cho, his hero), two comedy specials on Tubi and NBC’s Peacock, and his workshops encourage self-love and empowerment through the power of humor and storytelling. Aidan’s success and joy was only possible because he was able to work through the feelings of shame and isolation that he experienced at a young age through the power of mentorship and connection.

Aidan was also able to create a vision and hope for the future at a time when he felt hopeless. The YAY Guy’s Joy Journey’s mission is to...

1. inspire individuals in pain to be able to ease their feelings of shame and isolation through the power of storytelling and humor
2. inspire hope and optimism for the future by encouraging individuals to get a clear direction of the joyful vision of their lives, and spark their personal empowerment.