Thank you for supporting the Sidney Mae Olson Rainbow Fund in 2023!
When Sidney was killed in May, it shook our family and our community. From day one, we have been surrounded by Sidney’s Rainbows, a growing community of people who want to honor her by opening doors for kids to live active and curious lives.
You helped make it happen.
Together, we have raised more than $100K to help families access early education. We’ve sparked change in traffic safety locally - and awareness nationwide. We gathered hundreds of children for the first annual “Sidney’s Rainbow Run.” And, we served hundreds more families with our kids running program and weekly family activities in Andover.
We’re just getting started. We’re awaiting IRS approval of our 501(c)(3) status, and we’re expanding all our programs in 2024.
Below, you’ll find a full recap of the meaningful work you helped support this year.
With gratitude,
Mary Beth, Eric, and Sidney’s Rainbows
Sidney’s Scholarship at SHED
All our activities and fundraising in 2023 have raised almost $100,000 to open doors for children to lead active and curious lives. Starting this winter, we will begin sharing the magic of SHED’s nature-based creative education with three local families by sponsoring them for February and April vacation weeks. We’ll continue to expand our support into summer camps and full year students in Fall of 2024.
Sidney’s Rainbow Run
On a cool Thanksgiving morning, we were delighted to watch as over 500 children of all ages participated in Sidney’s Rainbows Kids Fun Run at the FeasterFive with hundreds more challenging themselves to the Kids 5k Fun Run.
Sidney’s spirit of love, laughter and inclusion was alive in the sea of rainbows, colorful tutus and flying confetti along the track. Sidney would have loved running alongside all the kids and sharing a smile and hug with them all on Thanksgiving day.
Family Activities in the Community
Bringing fun, active, and creative activities to the markets
The Sidney Mae Olson Rainbow Fund enjoyed being a part of the Andover Farmers Market, Andover Holiday Market, Andover Days, and the Scarecrow Festival this year.
At the local events, over 5,000 kids and their families gathered together to enjoy our fun creative activities designed to help little minds grow, learn, and play in a safe fun way.
Our favorite events included the community art project, 360 photo booth, book exchange, dance party, and kids obstacle course.
In 2024, we will continue to provide safe and open spaces for families to gather, learn, and play. Stay tuned.
Safer Streets for Vulnerable Road Users
Thanks to support from the community, we’ve made quick progress to address problems with Andover’s Elm Square, and started the long journey toward eliminating all preventable road deaths. Locally our team helped encourage Andover to commit to Vision Zero, where no pedestrian deaths are acceptable, and to expand the 25mph townwide speed limit.
In the past six months, we’ve been fortunate to garner media attention for this important issue on every Boston TV network, the Eagle Tribune, Boston.com - and we received national coverage with a column in the Boston Globe. We recognize this journey is long and hard, and are committed to be a voice for our vulnerable road users at the local, state and national level for years to come.
Rainbow Runners
Sidney’s Rainbow Runners
Inspired by Sidney’s love of movement and her mother’s love of running, the Rainbow Runners started with 50 kids ages 5-11 across two sessions. We plan to expand the program in 2024 to serve more children in Andover and beyond.
