The LiveLikeLara Foundation

05/21/2026

We are incredibly grateful for the generosity and love shown during Lara’s 40th birthday shoe fundraiser 💛👟
Because of your kindness, young people in four youth shelters across the country will receive new shoes—bringing not only comfort, but also confidence, dignity, and a reason to smile. What began as a simple birthday celebration became something far greater, and it’s all thanks to you!
Through your support, the LiveLikeLara Foundation was able to provide:
• 20 DSW gift cards to Crosswalk Youth Shelter in Spokane, Washington
• 50 DSW gift cards to Preble Street Joe Kreisler Teen Shelter in Portland, Maine
• 15 DSW gift cards to 91Place Youth Shelter in Indianapolis, Indiana
• 24 Rack Room Shoes gift cards to Port in the Storm Youth Shelter in St. Augustine, Florida
Each gift represents care, compassion, and the power of coming together to make a difference.
Thank you for helping us honor Lara’s 40th birthday in such a meaningful way and for touching the lives of so many. Your support means more than words can express ✨

04/11/2026

Happy 40th Birthday Lara!

04/03/2026

Carry Her Kindness: $40 for Lara’s 40th
Lara had a gift. She could walk into a room and make everyone in it feel like they belonged there – seen. Loved, and a little more alive. She was joy in motion, warmth without condition. And she loved her shoes.

This year, in honor of what would have been Lara’s 40th birthday on April 11, the LiveLikeLara Foundation is inviting our community to do what Lara did best: show up for someone who needs it.

For $40 – one dollar for every year of a life that changed the people around her – you can place a brand-new pair of shoes in the hands of a young person staying in a youth shelter in St. Augustine, Florida; Portland, Maine; Spokane, Washington; and Indianapolis, Indiana. These are young people navigating homelessness and crisis, often with little more than the clothes on their backs. For many of them, a new pair of shoes will be something they have never had before.

But this isn’t just about shoes. It’s about what shoes carry: warmth on a cold morning, confidence on a hard day, the quiet but powerful feeling of being cared for by someone who didn’t have to. That is exactly how Lara loved people – and it is exactly the spirit this campaign is built to carry forward.

Every $40 gift is an act of presence. Together, we can transform Lara’s milestone birthday into a movement of comfort, dignity and hope – reaching young people across four cities who deserve to know that someone sees them.
Donate today. Carry her kindness forward.

www.livelikelara.org or you can mail a check to 1452 Atlantic Breeze Way, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. 32082
All donations between April 3 and April 30, 2026 will go toward Lara’s birthday gift to the youth.

04/03/2026

Carry Her Kindness: $40 for Lara’s 40th

Lara had a gift. She could walk into a room and make everyone in it feel like they belonged there – seen. Loved, and a little more alive. She was joy in motion, warmth without condition. And she loved her shoes.

This year, in honor of what would have been Lara’s 40th birthday on April 11, the LiveLikeLara Foundation is inviting our community to do what Lara did best: show up for someone who needs it.

For $40 – one dollar for every year of a life that changed the people around her – you can place a brand-new pair of shoes in the hands of a young person staying in a youth shelter in St. Augustine, Florida; Portland, Maine; Spokane, Washington; and Indianapolis, Indiana. These are young people navigating homelessness and crisis, often with little more than the clothes on their backs. For many of them, a new pair of shoes will be something they have never had before.

But this isn’t just about shoes. It’s about what shoes carry: warmth on a cold morning, confidence on a hard day, the quiet but powerful feeling of being cared for by someone who didn’t have to. That is exactly how Lara loved people – and it is exactly the spirit this campaign is built to carry forward.

Every $40 gift is an act of presence. Together, we can transform Lara’s milestone birthday into a movement of comfort, dignity and hope – reaching young people across four cities who deserve to know that someone sees them.

Donate today. Carry her kindness forward.

www.livelikelara.org or you can mail a check to 1452 Atlantic Breeze Way, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. 32082
All donations between April 3 and April 30, 2026 will go toward Lara’s birthday gift to the youth.

03/23/2026

Since so many of you responded to our Facebook post about checking your vehicle’s safety recalls, we think you may also appreciate our website. It offers much more information about Lara and the work her Foundation is doing. Please take a moment to visit www.livelikelara.org and stay connected.

The LiveLikeLara Foundation will endeavor to continue Lara’s legacy, passion, and pursuit for equality and the betterment of humanity.

03/18/2026

Since 2014, this day has been a very hard one for our family and friends. You can help make it a little better by doing us a simple favor each year on this day:
Please double‑check your car, truck, RV, boat, or any other motorized vehicle for Safety Recalls.
There are more Safety Recalls now than ever before, and under both federal and state laws, only one person is responsible for making sure those recalls get fixed — you. Taking just a few minutes could save a life.
Please visit https://www.safercar.gov/ to get started.
Click on the “Recalls” link and enter your 17‑digit VIN.
If a Safety Recall appears, take your vehicle to the manufacturer’s dealer and have the repair completed.
Safety Recalls save lives — ignoring them can cost one.

SaferCar.gov is now NHTSA.gov

08/24/2025

Only one week from today is our 2025 Among the Pines fundraiser at Precious Things Fermentation Project with the fun beginng at 1pm. For tickets and more information please visit www.atpfest.com.

This year's event will support 2nd Harvest's Bite to Go program for a local public school, fallen Coeur d'Alene Firefighters Fund and the Lara D. Gass Memorial Scholarship. See you there!

August 31, 2025 // Spokane, WA 1-5pm

06/04/2025

10 Years of Impact. $241,821 Donated. Countless Lives Touched.

A decade ago, we turned heartbreak into hope. LiveLikeLara Foundation was born to honor Lara and support the causes she believed in: equality and the overall betterment of humanity.
Today, we celebrate 10 years of giving — with gratitude in our hearts and Lara’s spirit guiding us. From college scholarships to housing projects, food banks to youth programs, your generosity has changed lives in 7 states and Guatemala. Throughout the years, your support has helped homeless kids enjoy their own playground, provided funding for college students to purchase an entire year’s worth of books and educational supplies, built wheelchair ramps allowing those with disabilities to move freely, and provided underserved children with healthy meals, among so many other completed projects.
We’ve come so far — and with your help, we’ll strive to keep going even further.
Thank you for being a part of our mission at LiveLikeLara Foundation. 💛

https://livelikelara.org/celebrating-10-years-of-lara/

08/19/2024

Only 12 days left to get your tickets for the best b**r festival in the Pac NW. Head to www.livelikelara.org and click the
'2024 Among the Pines' link to snag yours today! Great b**r, great fun, all for a great cause.

The LiveLikeLara Foundation will endeavor to continue Lara’s legacy, passion, and pursuit for equality and the betterment of humanity.

08/01/2024

Just like that, Among the Pines 2024 is upon us - and we couldn't be more excited. This annual charity b**r festival hosted by Precious Things Fermentation Project brings together 20+ of Spokane's best provision-producers in order to raise money for local charities. On Sunday, Sept 1st from 12-4pm, hike amongst the tall pines and dirt trails, meandering from tap to tap all while raising money for great causes. Head on over to www.livelikelara.org in order to snag your spot. Tickets will absolutely sell out. We can't wait to drink in the woods with you. Below is some important stuff to know:

🗓Date/Time: Sunday, Sept. 1st from 12-4pm
🗺Where: Among the 10 acres surrounding Precious Things Fermentation Project
🎟Tickets: General Admission ($75); Designated Driver ($15)
🎉Perks: GA ticketholders receive a 15oz camp mug and a 16oz specialty collab b**r brewed by YaYa Brewing Company and **r specifically for this year's event
🚘Parking: Onsite ($15); Offsite w/ shuttle ($10)
🍻Beverages: GA guests can enjoy unlimited small pours from 21 local purveyors including b**r, c***r, and mead
👕T-Shirts: available for preorder while purchasing tickets (graciously donated and designed by )
🍽Food: Preorder Detroit-style pizza from Sauced while purchasing tickets or snag some BBQ day-of from
🎶Music: will be slangin' tunes all day
Note: This is a 21+ only event, unfortunately no pets will be allowed
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