Another Year Down (and what a year it was!)
I am overdue in updating the Mark Baumer Sustainability Fund newsletter. My goal had been to get out three newsletters each year. 2020 has been a brutal year for staying true to that goal.
To be honest, I can’t blame it entirely on COVID. Early in 2020, I felt discouraged about continuing to keep Mark’s legacy alive. Personally, there are times when I’m not sure how much difference anyone can make in this world. I mean, someone as deeply committed and who was truly unlike most us was killed attempting to live out his core values. So what can the rest of us do?
But nearly two months ago, I was reminded in watching the amazing documentary about Mark, what he would want all of us to do (more about the film later on in this newsletter). Also, maybe pandemics help in boosting resilience levels? I’m not sure. I feel less discouraged at the end of 2020 than I did last March. What is the explanation for that? I really don’t know. I have some thoughts. Here are few:
The work we’ve set out to do in Mark’s memory—obstacles or not—continues to be important in my opinion.
- Climate change is no less an issue than it was when Mark was still out walking.
- The equity in society is nowhere near what Mark would want or that all people regardless of station in life deserve. Poverty affects millions of Americans.
- Access to healthy and affordable food is not as widely available as it should be or the need calls for.
These are but a few things that should continue to motivate all of us to work in Mark’s memory as we push into 2021.
While 2020 brought challenges to all nonprofits and foundations like this one, we are pleased that we were able to offer our second installment of The Mark Baumer Memorial Scholarship for Student Athletes. This year, we provided three $1,000 scholarships to Greely High School seniors. Our recipients were Harrison McFarland, Emmaline Raven, and Molly Hale. All exceptional students who also participated in high school athletics and had additional community service added to the mix of their experience as student/athletes.
We partnered with Growing to Give by providing a $1,500 award for them to purchase organic compost. The high quality compost has made a significant contribution towards their success, allowing them to expand their growing area by 30 percent. This translates into 20,000 pounds of vegetables, the equivalent of 15,384 meals each year for local Mainers. Given Mark’s support of local farmers and his regular participation through his own annual farm share, we’re sure he’d approve.
Two new board members joined us in 2020. Joann and JT Bisson became our fifth and sixth members of the Mark Baumer Sustainability Fund’s board. Joann is Mark’s cousin. Both Joann and her husband, JT, were very close to Mark. Because his grandmother Joan cultivated a camaraderie between Mark and his cousins through a yearly get-together well into their adult years, the cousins were deeply affected by his death.
Mary and I talked with our existing board about wanting to add board capacity. Being able to add two young professionals with broad-based experience and skills that Joann and JT possess strengthens our board.
Here are their brief bios:
Joann is one of Mark’s three cousins. Joann and Mark grew up living next door to one another in Durham, Maine. Growing up, the cousins went on adventures with their grandmother who always brought our their creative sides.
JT met Mark in 1998 when Mark was in high school. At family parties and holidays, JT became part of the cousins’ shenanigans. JT and Mark connected around technology and social media presence.
JT will bring his technology skills to the board, as he is a network engineer for IDEXX. Joann will add managerial and financial oversight given her role as president and CEO for Trademark Federal Credit Union.
Joann and JT live in Maine’s “big” city, Portland, with their two cats.
We’re thrilled to have them on our board.
[Joann and JT at the Omaha Film Festival, for the screening of Barefoot]
Barefoot: The Mark Baumer Story
A month following Mark’s death, a former colleague of his put us in touch with a remarkable filmmaker, Julie Sokolow. Julie’s work is amazing in films like Aspie Seeks Love and Woman on Fire. She’d seen that I’d done interviews immediately after Mark was killed and she reached out to us. After the initial phone call, Mary and I knew she was the one to tell Mark’s story through a documentary.
Barefoot: The Mark Baumer Story’s world premiere was in Indianapolis at the Heartland International Film Festival, in October of 2019. Mary and I both attended and got to experience the film with other audience members, as well as spend time with Julie, the director and others who worked on the film. Barefoot was well-received and came away with the festival’s Best Premiere Documentary Feature.
The film was shown at other festivals including the Omaha Film Festival where it won the festival’s Best Documentary feature. It was well on its way to making a spirited run through the festival circuit during the fall and winter. Of course, like everything else, screenings were halted in March of 2020.
We were discouraged because Mark’s story was a compelling one, especially given Julie’s ability to touch on Mark as a human interest story, but also, she put his walk in the context of the run-up to the presidential election in 2016. That was four years ago!
In addition to having a remarkable filmmaker to tell Mark’s story, the production company, Animal Studio, have been phenomenal. They worked diligently to find a home for the film and 1091 Pictures released it in October of this year. Additionally, Animal hired a publicity team that allowed Julie, Mary, and me to do a two weeks of intensive PR prior to the digital release of Barefoot. We’re pleased to let everyone know that the film can be viewed via iTunes, Amazon, and other online streaming platforms.
As we enter yet another holiday period without Mark, aware that he’d be turning 37 on December 19, we experience this period as one that’s bittersweet at best. But, life rolls along with or without us.
As his parents, both Mary and I have chosen to carry on and continue working to honor Mark’s life and his example through the Mark Baumer Sustainability Fund. We’re pleased to have our current board working alongside us.
We extend warmth and cheer this holiday season. We know it continues to be a challenging time for so many. Our hope is that we’ll be able to experience the togetherness and collective spirit that Mark embodied in his life on the other side of the pandemic. We’ll continue focusing on the things that Mark cared about and lived out during his all-too-brief time on Earth.
Our wish is that you’ll continue standing with us in honoring Mark’s memory and his work as we head into 2021 and beyond.
-Jim