ACE IN THE HOLE FOUNDATION INC

The principle goal of Ace in the Hole Foundation is to remember and honor the sacrifice of 1st LT Michael L. LiCalzi, and all other Marines who have died as a result of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, by raising funds to meaningfully assist and support military-oriented charities, individual Marines and their families, and specific orphan disease charities. We strive to achieve this goal by emphasizing the founding tenets of the Foundation: (1) honoring the past and ongoing sacrifices of Marine officers and enlisted personnel for comrades, family and nation: (2) reaching out, even when difficult or challenging, to Marines, other military personnel, and their families who are in financial need or in emotional crisis; and, (3) recognizing and accepting the obligation to help the medically ignored or under served.

Ace in the Hole Foundation has made the strategic decision to focus its attention on helping only those charities, organizations, and individuals that 1st LT Michael LiCalzi supported in his lifetime or would have supported given his commitment and fidelity to the USMC and his empathy and compassion for the underdog and the underserved. In addition, given our small size and completely volunteer board, management and staffing we have determined that a significant part of our appeal to supporters must continue be the fact that the Foundation pays no salaries, other personnel cost, or operating expenses/overhead. Only a very limited portion of our fundraising revenues are used to pay event expenses. In fact, these expenses in the aggregate have not exceeded 5% of the gross receipts for each of our past events. It is also worth noting that our supporters are enthusiastic about the grassroots origin of the Foundation and the family-oriented nature of our events. The Foundation believes that this will continue to be an integral part of our core strategy in maintaining and growing our appeal to individual and corporate supporters.

Ace in the Hole Foundation, established by the family of a fallen Marine hero, is in the unenviable position of best conveying to the general public the pride, sorrow, loss and patriotism inherent in all military families. We are open and transparent in promoting our mission and ask for only what our board members are willing to contribute. Our message is untainted by commercialism and, as such, has been exceedingly well received by those supporters who know us and many of those who were just introduced. Because of our unique relationships with the 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, the Marine Corps Tankers Association, United Veterans Beacon House, and the orphan medical and educational charities that we have consistently supported since 2008, the Foundation can quickly address the pressing needs of those entities and the people that they serve. Unlike larger and older organizations, the Foundation is not constrained by an internal bureaucracy or a politically divided board. Likewise, we have demonstrated that we are exceptionally efficient in identifying real needs and disbursing our funds in a very timely manner.

Since our establishment in 2008 Ace in the Hole Foundation has grown its annual fundraising efforts from approximately $27,000 to almost $100,000. We have accomplished this growth, in large part, by creating our signature annual fundraising event in 2009--a Run & Walk at Lido West Beach on Long Island. This walk has been co-sponsored by the Town of Hempstead (the largest town in the USA measured by population) and is held on the Saturday in May immediately preceding Mother's Day. Participation has increased four-fold to over 450 registered runners/walkers and corporate sponsorships have increased four-fold. The Foundation has also endorsed the efforts of individuals and organizations to undertake dedicated fundraising events for the benefit of Ace in the Hole Foundation. For example, in the summer of 2013, a friend of the Foundation's founder committed to bicycling across the country to raise funds for the Foundation. His "Bike for Mike" campaign had as a goal raising at least $12,000. The goal was exceeded! An example of the commitment and support of the Foundation's benefactors, despite the storms that pounded the beach (and our many friends) during our May 2017 Run & Walk, we still attracted over 300 participants including almost 70 active duty Marines. Similar foul weather in 2018 and 2019 did not deter our participants and friends from coming to the beach in comparable numbers! For your information, since its establishment in 2008 we have awarded over $740,000 in grants and gifts to worthy charities and causes.