Farmington Residents Make a World-Wide Impact Through the REACH Foundation

When Farmington residents Mark and Wendy Wilson first started the non-profit REACH Foundation in 2000 they had a simple goal - to help children in social, economic and physical need.

As their foundation first got under way, the organization primarily helped children by working to provide better access to education through scholarships and supporting educational foundations and libraries. 

“We saw these kids who we knew could make a difference in the world,” Mark Wilson said. “They had something in them that we thought could make an impact someday. They just needed a chance.”

While providing educational opportunities to children in need is still at the heart of its mission, the scope of the REACH Foundation has expanded greatly in the last 11 years.

From donating $2 for every point scored by the University of Memphis men’s basketball team during the 2010-2011 season to St. Jude’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., to committing $1.5 million towards construction of the Wilson-Gray North Hartford YMCA, to assisting in raising awareness and funds for other charities such as the Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Boys and Girls Club and the Make a Wish Foundation, the REACH Foundation has taken extraordinary steps to offer a helping hand.

For its latest venture, the REACH Foundation is partnering with the Travelers Championship golf tournament to host two concerts at the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell during the upcoming PGA tour event which will take place between June 20 and June 26.

The concerts will take place following rounds of golf at the TPC River Highlands golf club in an area adjacent to the 18^th hole and will feature Eddie Money on Wednesday, June 22 and Huey Lewis and the News on Saturday, June 25.

According to Wilson, these concerts will provide a great opportunity to not only raise funds and awareness, but also to motivate people to participate in charity.

“When people come to listen to music, we could almost literally lock the gate and get a chance to talk to them about children who are in need,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to let them know that they can make a difference.”

 Although the problems facing children across the world may be great and the task of reaching out to those children may be daunting, the challenge they face doesn’t dissuade the Wilsons or the REACH Foundation.

“We always say, ‘if in only one life, make a difference,’” Wilson said. “If you look at everyone who needs help, you might think the task is impossible, but it’s not hard to make a difference in one person’s life. When people come together, they can have an incredible impact on the world.”

As a successful developer and owner of Wilson Development LLC. and Crazy Bruce’s Liqours, which donates 20 percent of its profit to charity, Wilson said that he feels it is his responsibility to give back.

 “We’ve been very lucky,” he said. “Although my philosophy is that we should help the communities we live in, we also want to make an difference across the world.”

It’s precisely that philosophy that that has led the REACH Foundation to participate in a wide range of causes, from preventing gun violence, to drug and alcohol prevention programs, to working to stop human trafficking. The efforts of the REACH Foundation are expansive, but according to Wilson it is unlikely they will even stop.

“When there’s no child to feed…when no child is lonely, scared or hungry, then we’ll be done.”

For tickets to the REACH Concert Series, visit http://reachconcertseries.com/tickets.