aaronsfund.comMaking a Difference
In loving memory of Aaron Matthew Tuneberg
-->Aaron's Fund
Aaron Matthew Tuneberg died at the age of 30 on April 8, 2014 as the result of a senseless and violent crime. Because of the developmental disability he was born with his life was often difficult and with the support of many people he worked hard to deal with his problems and succeeded in becoming independent, living in his own apartment, caring for his beloved cat Jack, following his passion for low rider bicycles, and surrounding himself with a community of loyal and loving friends. Aaron was a sweet young man who, in spite of his disabilities, was trying to live his life well and in peace. He was a beloved son, brother, uncle and proud citizen of Boulder, Colorado.
The motivating dreams behind this memorial fund are to honor Aaron’s spirt and soul, and in the process to make the lives of other adults with disabilities more meaningful and safer. We hope you will be inspired to join us in working toward these goals.
May his memory always be a blessing.
Help us make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. Donate to the Aaron Matthew Tuneberg Fund.
Donations can also be made by mail to:
Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation
Attn: Kendall Cordova
Anschutz Medical Campus
12123 E. 16th Ave, B045
Aurora, CO 80045
Please write "Aaron's fund" on your check's memo line
Our Current Projects
The goal of Aaron’s Fund is to help at-risk individuals lead full and safe lives, and provide support to their families.
We are grateful for your ongoing generosity which has allowed us to establish the Aaron Matthew Tuneberg Endowment at Children’s Hospital Colorado. This capstone investment will benefit the patients receiving treatment in the Children’s Behavioral Health Clinic, and their families. These are families whose kiddos are dealing with similar difficult challenges to those Aaron worked to overcome, and they deserve as much support on their journeys as possible. With your help, we hope to raise an additional $10,000 for the endowment by the 10th Anniversary of Aaron’s Death in April 2024. We thank you in advance for your continued support.
Vocational training in bicycle repair
After a long Covid-imposed hiatus, we received notification that the Boulder Valley School District is suspending Aaron’s Earn a Bike Program with Community Cycles. We understand the continuing pandemic pressures on all school districts, and will certainly leave the door open to working with both BVSD/Transitions and Community Cycles in the future. And we will continue to look for ways to encourage those in Aaron’s cohort to enjoy bicycling and to assist them in this regard. During the six years this program operated with our support, more than 100 students participated and benefited. For this we are grateful.
Quotes from students
"My favorite things I learned are hand signals (for signaling while riding a bicycle) and tire patch."
"You learn how to do bike mechanics, it’s fun, and you make new friends"
"I feel more confident in riding my bike. It is so much fun being in the biking community!"
"I learned how to adjust the brakes and I learned all of the bike parts."
Project Search at Children's Hospital
Just prior to the Covid shutdown, we invested in Project Search, a wonderful vocational-training program at Children’s Hospital Colorado for young adults with DD and ID. Students from all over the metro area participate for a school-year, receive in-classroom instruction in the mornings, then shadow current employees in various departments at the hospital in the afternoons. At the completion of their program each student is given the opportunity to apply for employment at Children’s. This is a program which Aaron could have greatly benefited from. One of his most successful work experiences was an internship at Boulder Community Hospital during his Transitions years. Happily, Project Search resumed with the opening of school this fall.
