Without Regrets Foundation provides gravely ill parents and their minor children with memorable family experiences. This special time together creates memories that will last forever.
After knowing three young parents that passed away in one year leaving behind young children, we decided something needed to be done for other families facing this situation. We believe that the memories a child has of a parent can last a lifetime and for some children memories are all they have.
With a background in working for and with non-profit organizations, fundraising for charitable organizations, and a passion for helping others we decided we would create an organization to help children and families with terminally ill parents.
Latest News
Austin Marathon This Weekend
Thursday February 14, 2013
Family Has Experience of a Lifetime
Thursday January 24, 2013
Family Enjoys Special New Years
Thursday January 24, 2013
Upcoming Events
Our Partners
Our Founders
Tara Ballard
I was a government major at the University of Texas at Austin. After college I worked for one of the political parties and in grassroots lobbying before deciding to move to the non-profit sector. It is an amazing feeling when you make a difference in the lives of others. I have worked in fundraising for The Leukemia Society, Local Independent Charities, Independent Charities of America and The Children's Charitable Alliance. I was previously a gubernatorial appointee to the SECC State Advisory Committee. I left this all behind to be a mom. I have a daughter and a son. They are my greatest achievement but I followed my heart in forming Without Regrets knowing that I am teaching them valuable lessons about doing things for others and one day they will be proud of what their mother has accomplished. I also volunteer my time at my daughter's school and with her girl scout troop.
Ché Heinroth
I put myself through college while raising my oldest daughter. After graduating from University of Houston, I worked for Arthur Andersen and Texas Children's Hospital. During this time, I married and earned a teaching certificate. I taught in Houston for 5 years before staying home with my daughters. I have participated in fundraising events for The Leukemia Society, American Diabetes Association, Susan G. Komen, March of Dimes, Livestrong, and many others. I volunteer at my children's schools and at my church. Without Regrets Foundation allows me to funnel my passion for helping people while teaching my daughters valuable life lessons.
Our Inspiration
My husband, Scott, was diagnosed with cancer in October of 2010, and lost his battle to cancer in April of 2011. To know Scott was to know he loved the NY Yankees. One of Scott's bucket list items was to take our son, Aidan, to Yankee Stadium. While we were not able to make his dream come true, we strongly hope other families will greatly benefit from the Without Regrets Foundation. Sometimes time is all we have and when life presents us with these situations it is vitally important to make the time you have the most loving and memorable it can be, Without Regrets can help you create and enjoy the precious time you have left with your loved one.
May God bless you with strength, the clarity to feel happy when surrounded with sadness, and abounding and bountiful love.
Nichole Sala-GrossmanWho can become a client of Without Regrets Foundation?
Individuals must meet the following criteria:
- Individual seeking assistance must have a grave and progressive illness with limited life expectancy. And must be deemed medically eligible by their physician or qualified medical professional.
- All of their children must be under the age of 18
- Must be a US Citizen
For the time being, we are only taking referrals from qualified medical professionals.
What type of memorable family experiences do your clients request?
When a client is selected, Without Regrets Foundation will work with them to help determine what is truly meaningful to them. Their family experience will be personal and unique. Any medical limitations provided by their physician will be considered. If travel is involved in their experience, we will not send clients outside the United States. Their experience must involve their entire family (not just with a spouse or a subset of their children rather than all of their children). Click here for an example of some experiences that clients may be interested in to make their lasting memories.
Does the client have to meet income qualifications?
No. Income will not be a consideration in determining eligibility.
How is the organization funded?
The organization is funded by individual contributions, planned gifts and corporate donations. We also rely on in-kind contributions to help us carry out our mission at a lower cost.
How can I help?
There are many ways you can help.
- A one time donation online or by mail
* - A recurring donation, monthly or annually
* - Airfare is one of our largest expenses because many experiences involve travel. We are seeking individuals that would like to donate frequent flyer miles to cover the cost of tickets.
- Donations of other services and in-kind items e.g. vacation rentals, photography services, theme park tickets, etc.
- If you are interested in hosting a fundraiser for Without Regrets Foundation please contact us and we will get in touch with you.
- Participate in our Running Without Regrets program. This program allows runners and walkers the opportunity to raise funds for Without Regrets while training for select races. Contact us to inquire about current races.
* Remember that many companies encourage their employees to donate to charity by matching their contributions. If you are not sure, please check with your HR Department. If your company participates in this type of program, and you need information from Without Regrets Foundation please contact us.Can I donate in honor or in memory of someone?
Yes. You can indicate on the donation form if your gift is in honor or in memory of someone. If so, please provide us with that person's name and the address for them or their family so that we can send them a note informing them of your gift in their name. The amount of the donation will not be released.
Is my financial contribution tax deductible?
Yes. Without Regrets Foundation was formed as a non-profit corporation with the State of Texas and is recognized by the IRS as a 501c3 organization.
Is my information confidential?
Yes. We have a strict privacy policy for our donor information. Client information will also be confidential unless otherwise released by the client themself.
Austin Marathon This Weekend
Thursday February 14, 2013
We are so excited about our water stop at the Austin Marathon this weekend. Thank you to all of the volunteers who have signed up to come help us. We will be at the expo Friday from 3-6 and Saturday from 10-7 for any runners and walkers who would like to come find out more about Without Regrets or join our team for the Austin 10/20.
Family Has Experience of a Lifetime
Thursday January 24, 2013
Tracy and his family have returned from their experience and had an amazing time. Tracy is a 41 year old father of 13 year old twins. He was diagnosed with rectal cancer that has spread to his lungs, lymph nodes and skull. This wonderful family enjoys spending time together doing adventurous activities and enjoying life.
We were so honored to be able to make their dreams come true with a trip to Maui to enjoy many magical moments that became memories that will last forever. The words of this family and the picture below say it all!
"Our experience with Without Regrets was truly a dream come true. They gave our family the opportunity to create lasting memories even in this difficult time. They knew exactly what our family needed and planned a trip that was beyond our wildest dreams."
We would like to sincerely thank all those that helped us make this trip possible. Cori and Dina Berhold, the Pine Lake Association, Anna Kim Photography, Pacific Whale Foundation, Old Lahaina Luau and Maui Zipline.
Family Enjoys Special New Years
Thursday January 24, 2013
We are so honored to have helped Michael and his family over New Years. Michael was a 53 year old father of a 16 year old son. Michael was diagnosed around Thanksgiving with pancreatic cancer that has spread throughout his abdomen. He knew his time was limited and wanted to enjoy quality time with his son. This father and son have always spent New Year's Eve together and this year was no different, just a little more special.
Without Regrets helped this family enjoy a getaway to San Antonio where they rang in the new year making memories for Michael's son to always remember. They enjoyed the sights and sounds of San Antonio and were even able to ring in the new year with fireworks.
We would like to extend a heart felt to all of the businesses that helped us make this getaway happen. Thank you to Sea World San Antonio, Shark Limo, Tower of the Americas, IMAX Rivercenter, City Sightseeing, The Buckhorn Museum and The Witte Museum.
Volunteers Needed! Please Help Us!
Friday December 14, 2012
We need volunteers to help us at the Austin Marathon!! We are so excited to be one of the 26 Miles for 26 Charities organizations and we are going to have so much fun on race day (February 17,2013).
We will be running a water stop at Mile 24. We need your help providing hydration to the runners and walkers and cheering them on to cross that finish line.
Groups are welcome, if you are a member of a club, team, etc., we will station you together with your friends. Simply indicate your group name in the comments field of the sign up page.
Volunteers will receive a tshirt and food.
Sign up here. E-mail info@withoutregrets.org if you have any questions.
Watch Our New Video!!
Wednesday November 14, 2012
Thank you to our partners at I Live Here I Give Here for helping us raise awareness of Without Regrets. Check out this VIDEO that they produced for their Community Needs Spotlight.
We are also very pleased to announce that we have been selected as Austin Involved's Charity of Choice for November. Every month, Austin Involved members select a Charity of Choice, and give of their time and money to help that nonprofit achieve its mission.
We will be working with the Austin Involved members during this month of “giving thanks”, to thank the families that have allowed us to be a part of their lives.
Please join us at one of the following events!!!
Meet Dual
Dual is a 45 year old father to a 13 year old daughter. Dual was diagnosed with renal cancer last year that has spread to his bones and lymph nodes. He enjoys watching sports with his family and wants to share the experience of a live game with them. The family will be traveling to Arlington later this month to experience a Texas Rangers game and enjoy some of the sites in the DFW area.
Meet Michael
Michael is a 53 year old father of a 16 year old son. Michael was diagnosed last month with pancreatic cancer that has spread throughout his abdomen. New Years is always a special time for Michael and his family so we are helping make this New Year an extra special time. They are going to San Antonio and spending New Year's Eve at Sea World! They will also be enjoying several other fun experiences like a trip to the top of the Tower of the Americas, an IMAX movie and more. We are honored to be able to help this sweet family create positive memories to last forever.
Meet Tracy
Tracy is a 41 year old father to 13 year old twins. He has been diagnosed with rectal cancer that has spread to his lungs, lymph nodes and skull. This family enjoys spending time together doing adventurous activities and enjoying life. For their experience this family is going on an amazing getaway to Hawaii for their dreams to come true. We are so honored to be playing a part in this family's life. Thank you to MD Anderson for referring this family to us.
Meet Stanley
Stanley is a 53 year old man who is the father to a wonderful 10 year old girl. Stanley has lung cancer that has spread to his brain and bones. Before Stanley got sick 4 years ago he and his family really enjoyed being outdoors. Since his daughter was only 6 when he was first diagnosed she has had to grow up very fast and not had as many chances to be a kid as she deserves. Due to his his illness Stanley and his family have taken no vacations together and his daughter has never left the State of Texas. We are going to send this amazing family to California so they can see the ocean and they can spend some quality family time having fun, forgetting their worries and enjoying each other. As Stanley's wife said when we met with them "a lot of things we take for granted until the rubber meets the road...you can't put a price on life and you can't put a price on your family". Thank you to Wonders and Worries for referring this family to us.
Meet Nicki
Nicki is a 36 year old mother of 4, ages 15, 13, 10 and 5. Nicki has breast cancer that has spread to her liver, lungs and brain. She is a fighter and we are so honored to be playing a part in her life. Nicki wants to take her four children to see the town she grew up in. She wants to show them all of the places she used to go and the things she enjoyed when she was a child herself. For their trip, they have scheduled a family reunion with their entire extended family and will be attending the wedding of a relative. Two of the kids will get to meet their grandfather for the first time. And while there, Nicki and her siblings plan to spread the ashes of their mother who passed away in the summer of 2011. We are honored to be able to help Nicki make this dream come true. Thank you to Texas Oncology for referring Nicki to us.
Meet Alex
Alex is a 38 year old man with End Stage ALS. He has three children; sons ages 17 and 14 and a 9 year old daughter. With a prognosis of six months or less left in his life he wants to take his wife and children to the Texas Gulf Coast and go fishing. This wonderful family has not been to the coast since their oldest son was just a baby. The two youngest children have never seen the beach. And when Alex was younger and healthy he used to really enjoy fishing. We are honored to be able to help this family create a lasting memory so that these kids can always remember this special time with their father. Thank you to the ALS Association for referring this family to us.
Run or Walk to help deserving families Leave Without Regrets.
Running Without Regrets is a fantastic new program offering participants the opportunity to fundraise for Without Regrets Foundation while training to participate in a marathon or half marathon.
For more information please contact us at info@withoutregrets.org
Participant Rewards
- Race entry fee for marathon or half marathon
- Travel Expenses (which may include hotel and/or airfare)
- Fundraising support and guidance
- Training schedule by a certified personal trainer
- Clinics focused on injury prevention, apparel, nutrition, etc.
- Pre-race pasta party & post race victory party
- Race shirt & Team shirt
Partnered With:
"You must do the thing you think you cannot do."
Eleanor Roosevelt"If you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, keep moving."
Martin Luther King, Jr.There are several ways to help us achieve our mission.
- You can help us by making a secure online donation.
This can be a one-time donation or a recurring, monthly donation. You can also donate in honor or in memory of someone dear to you.
- You can send a check, made payable to Without Regrets Foundation along with our Mail in Donation form to:
Without Regrets Foundation
P.O. Box 1586
Dripping Springs, TX 78620
- All donations over $100 will be acknowledged in our newsletter unless the donor requests to be kept anonymous.
- All donors who contribute more than $1000 annually will receive a Without Regrets Foundation t-shirt.
- For any donation over $10,000 annually, you will officially sponsor a client's goal and we will provide you with a keepsake from the family that you helped so that you can remember how much your generosity meant to others.
- Without Regrets Foundation was formed as a non-profit corporation with the State of Texas, is determined a public charity under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3), and per section 170 your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowable by law.
- You can help us by making a secure online donation.
This can be a one-time donation or a recurring, monthly donation. You can also donate in honor or in memory of someone dear to you.
