By Tom Cole

With great sadness, I share the news of the passing of Chuck Martinez, our board president of nearly 15 years. Chuck passed away on Thursday, July 28th, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. In his last ten months of life, Chuck continued his devotion to Kids Unlimited up to the last board meeting he attended in June. He was one of the most influential and impactful people in the history of our 25-year organization. His leadership and passion for the mission of Kids Unlimited cannot truly be measured. Our organization grew, expanded, and sustained some of our most essential programs during his board tenure. The successes he passionately championed were transformational for our work and community.

First and foremost, Chuck was not just a board member but a living testimony to our mission. His upbringing in a single-parent household in West Medford in the early 60s, marred by poverty and cultural challenges of coming from a Latino background, instilled a belief in the importance of children having an opportunity. He always believed in hard work and dedication. Still, he never forgot that the most important conduit to those ethics starts with someone believing in you to ensure an opportunity. He cherished the values of our mission and tirelessly worked to guarantee it could reach more children. With programs under his tenure, it grew to represent a full spectrum of the Unlimited.  

As a board member, he navigated the political challenges of starting our KU public charter schools. He oversaw the acquisition and expansion of all our capital projects today, serving thousands of children and families. What made him unique was that his service was his passion, and he embraced the responsibility to help with a conviction of purpose. He knew our kids intimately, he supported them personally, and his love for them was more than a duty. It was a genuine belief he shared in wanting to help create opportunities. 

Personally, Chuck meant more than I could ever articulate in a letter. Chuck will forever serve as a motivation for our mission. His shared faith in opportunities for all children, regardless of their background, was pure, selfless, and unwavering. Losing him has been painful. However, I’ve found peace in being so thankful for the blessing he was to not only my life but to the lives of thousands of people that his dedication has impacted. He was a gift for all of us at Kids Unlimited, and his memory serves as a motivation for what one person’s love can impact. On behalf of Kids Unlimited, we are grateful for having Chuck as our board leader and as a friend. For our children in this community, his legacy will continue to motivate the Unlimited and remind us of the importance of making a difference. As the saying goes, there are some who bring a light so great to the world that even after they have gone, the light remains, and Chuck’s light will continue to shine.

Kids Unlimited Academy is back in session! As it is our second year of an all-around school year, we are thrilled about what lies ahead for the new school year. So much has happened since we opened our doors at the beginning of August, such as our Backpack Giveaway, our deliciously gigantic 100ft banana split sundae, and a new addition to our KUA family, DJ Gemineye! 

We are highlighting two significant events that occurred in August. First, thanks to Banner Bank, we provided our students with over 200 backpacks, each filled with school supplies. Not only did they sponsor the event, but two of their outstanding staff members, Jay Stormberg and Tim Heim, stopped at our Medford campus and helped us fill backpacks with supplies. The second memorable event was Banana Split Day, when our students enjoyed a 100ft banana split sundae! Because of Cascade Glacier’s generous donation and volunteers from South Medford’s girl’s basketball team, Lady Panther Hoops, our students were treated to a day filled with sweetness. 

As we always empower kids with opportunity, what better opportunity than to have DJ Gemineye a part of our KU/KUA family. DJ Gemineye has been making people dance on their feet with his fantastic DJ skills in the northwest for over 30 years. He also has 25 years under his belt in radio and audio production, making him the best fit to teach our KUA students what sound can do. When asked what he is most excited about teaching at KUA and what he would like the students to take from his lessons, “I’m excited about giving kids the opportunity to create content with the technology they probably would not have access to at other schools in the valley. Creating professional audio and video content is only going to get bigger, and maybe some of the students will learn how to use it to spread positivity in this world!” From podcasts to sound engineering, our students will have an opportunity that will empower them. Welcome to KU/KUA DJ Gemineye.

When Medford’s Kids Unlimited Academy opened in 2013, the Kids Unlimited board of directors did not imagine that in 2019, a new KUA would open in White City. Just as in Medford, the KUA White City campus serves our children’s academic, nutritional and social-emotional needs by providing a year-round calendar, opening our doors at 7:30 am, and ensuring our last students of the day are picked up by 5:30 pm. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided with enrichment opportunities offered throughout the day and a standards-based academic curriculum.

In the spring of 2022, parents learned that our Pre-K program moved to a temporary location (a short mile away on Crater Lake Avenue) because of our new 2nd-grade classrooms! 

Currently, KUA White City continues to interview new families who want to enroll their children in our Pre-K, Kinder, 1st, and 2nd-grade classes. When we asked our prospective families, what drew you to the White City Kids Unlimited program? They respond, “Our child needs what your school offers.”

With almost 25 years under its belt, Kids Unlimited has been the embodiment of Empowerment Through Opportunity serving the community by providing opportunities to kids despite their backgrounds and economic limitations. For that, we wanted to celebrate this profound organization’s importance and impact in the Rogue Valley by featuring not one but two Kids Unlimited alumni, Diego Becerra and Daniela Vargas. 

Diego and Daniela, who have been a part of the after-school program since the 1st grade, shared how KU has positively impacted their lives. They both have memorable moments they still hold dear, including field trips, enrichments, and creating friendships with the staff. Daniela says the same team were the ones that made Kids Unlimited enjoyable and are why she came back every year. Not only were the staff meaningful, but also the differing enrichment activities they enjoyed, such as iron beads and soccer. During the 2014 World Cup, the staff at Diego’s site location were friendly enough to hold a mock World Cup for them. 

Not only did we want to share their memorable moments but also how Kids Unlimited made a difference in their lives. With Diego, Kids Unlimited was his entire childhood as he attended KU summer camps and after-school programs. For Daniela, it allowed her to experience different activities and see the world. For instance, she learned how to roller skate, how to swim, and visited Crater Lake. She liked that the program focused on educating students but also having fun. It allowed her to work on her English since she wasn’t able to speak it fluently at the time.

As Diego is pursuing a degree in Human Physiology and a double minor in Italian and Chemistry at the University of Oregon, his cousin, Daniela, is majoring in nursing and minoring in Spanish. Yet, both took their time this year to volunteer during our summer camp. Both have gone through the after-school programs together. Giving back felt like the right thing to do. Daniela says, “At the end of the day, all that matters is each kid feels heard and knows they are loved despite what they are going through in their life. For this reason, I decided to come back to Kids Unlimited. I want to ensure each kiddo knows that Kids Unlimited can be their family.”

This year’s summer camp is summed up in one word, FUN-tastic! From water slides to riding horses, our campers had a summer to remember. Our camps were located in three different locations, Kids Unlimited Academy, Oak Grove, and Howard Elementary. As Kids Unlimited Academy is in its second year-round school year, our other camps had a head start in summer activities. Howard and Oak Grove camps began in June and lasted until August with 172 happy campers. In contrast, Kids Unlimited Academy began its summer camp in July and lasted for three memorable weeks with 200 campers. 

While the heat was high some days, it didn’t deter campers from enjoying their time with our fun yet educational enrichment activities, memorable field trips to last a lifetime, and our fantastic staff. They were artistic while learning about hieroglyphics, baked a delicious Oreo casserole, and played around with what they now know comes from ancient Egypt, salt dough. Not only were our campers learning at their camp locations, but they also had the opportunity to learn during their various field trips. Some of the neat experiences they got to be a part of were, mining for gold at Crater Rock Museum, learning how to take care and ride a horse, and spark curiosity and wonder through interactive science activities at none other than ScienceWorks. 

With similar field trips, such as ScienceWorks, KUA campers showed off their artistic skills, cooled off with a waterslide, and learned bike safety through Rogue Valley Transportation District. While Kids Unlimited Academy hosted its students for the summer, our Pre-Kinder building also hosted its summer camp for migrant children. 

Each of our summer camp locations were a success due to the excellent staff who made it possible. We thank every single one of them, and we are excited for what is to come next summer.