Dear nonprofits, nerds, friends at #webchallenge
The Nerdery considers our Overnight Website Challenge as our finest hour – all 24 of them. But we would be remiss if we didn’t also acknowledge our company’s darkest hour; the tragic loss of our co-founder, president and dear friend, Luke Bucklin, who passed away last fall in a plane crash with his sons Nate, Nick and Noah. Luke never missed a minute of the first three years of our nonprofit nerdathon. With the exception of when we found him napping in a stairway, he was a tireless champion of this initiative and a dedicated volunteer.
Last year, Luke and his wife Ginger were the first volunteers to arrive on Saturday morning, and Luke spent the next several hours making pot-after-pot of coffee. Another volunteer – who didn’t know any of us – pointed Luke out as a fellow volunteer with a particular knack for making everyone else feel like they were doing something truly special, just by being here. That’s as true today as it was then, and I thank all of you for that.
Not listed as an official nonprofit this year is BFF, aka, The Bucklin Family Foundation, a new nonprofit founded by Ginger Bucklin, who’s here to brainstorm ideas for a website and apps that will help families connect through interactive technology, and remain Best Friends, Forever. At some point during these 24 hours, you’ll need a break. If you want to think about something else for awhile, Ginger welcomes thinkers like you to share your ideas.
Yours truly,
