Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation

THE PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION IS TO PERPETUATE THE LEGACY OF WILL ROGERS THROUGH THE WORKS OF THREE PROGRAMS, BRAVE BEGINNINGS, THE WILL ROGERS INSTITUTE AND THE PIONEERS ASSISTANCE FUND.

PIONEERS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMTHE PIONEERS ASSISTANCE FUND (PAF) PROVIDES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE ISSUES TO PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THEATRICAL ENTERTAINMENT. ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED ON A SLIDING SCALE FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED A MINIMUM OF FIVE YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY UP TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED AN ENTIRE CAREER IN THE INDUSTRY. THE PAF IS FUNDED BY RESTRICTED DONATIONS FROM ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY COMPANIES, FOUNDATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK IN THE THEATRICAL ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. THE 2021-22 FISCAL YEAR SAW A DECLINE IN THE IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC, AS THE MOVIE THEATER INDUSTRY STARTED TO FIND A SENSE OF EQUILIBRIUM. EMERGENCY COVID GRANTS CAME TO A CLOSE WHILE THE REGULAR ASSISTANCE PROGRAM STARTED TO RETURN TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS. PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED IN THEATRICAL ENTERTAINMENT FOR A MINIMUM OF FIVE YEARS ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND COUNSELING DUE TO ACCIDENT, ILLNESS, NATURAL DISASTER, FINANCIAL HARDSHIP, AND MEDICAL ISSUES. PAF PROVIDED LONG-TERM TYPE ASSISTANCE TO 13 CLIENTS DUE TO QUALITY-OF-LIFE ISSUES. SHORT-TERM ASSISTANCE WAS GIVEN TO 553 CLIENTS PRIMARILY FOR MEDICAL REHABILITATION, MEDICAL RELATED EQUIPMENT, VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION, AND HOUSING INSECURITY. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CONTACTED PAF (DUE TO COVID AND NON-COVID) AND RECEIVED A MINIMUM OF COUNSELING HELP WAS 653. CANCER CONTINUES TO THE PRIMARY REASON FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. THE TOP THREE REASONS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ARE: 1. RENT AND HOUSEHOLD FINANCIAL HARDSHIP, 2. ACCIDENT OR UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCE, AND 3. MEDICAL TREATMENTS AND CARE. THE AGE RANGE FOR LONG-TERM ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS IS 62 - 93, WITH MANY OF THOSE RECEIVING ASSISTANCE BETWEEN THE AGES 71 90. THE SHORT-TERM CLIENT AGES ARE FROM 20-100 YEARS OF AGE, WITH THE MAJORITY RECEIVING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN THE 20 - 40 AGE GROUP. SOCIAL WORKERS CONTINUE TO FIND A SIZABLE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SEEKING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ARE EMPLOYED, BUT LIVE UNDER A VERY TIGHT BUDGET, DUE TO MANY FACTORS. ONE ACCIDENT, ILLNESS OR UNFORESEEN INCIDENT CAN CREATE A HOUSEHOLD CRISIS. PAF CLIENTS REFLECT THE GREATER CIRCUMSTANCE AFFECTING MIDDLE-CLASS WORKERS IN THE USA, MOST ARE BARELY KEEPING UP WITH FINANCIAL DEMANDS OF DAY-TO-DAY LIFE. THE PIONEERS ASSISTANCE FUND CONTINUED THE EFFORT TO EDUCATE INDUSTRY MEMBERS THROUGH INCREASED PRESENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THE MONTHLY WILL POWER NEWSLETTER, AND A NEW ADDITION, WEEKLY BLOG POSTS THAT COVER A RELEVANT TOPIC TO MAINTAINING OVERALL WELLNESS. DUE TO THE INCREASED RESEARCH FINDINGS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP, EXERCISE, AND MEDITATION, ALL CREATED CONTENT FOCUSES ON TIPS TO ACHIEVING A HEALTHY LIVING LIFESTYLE. SOCIAL WORKERS ARE NOW SCREENING FOR DEPRESSION, SUICIDALITY, AND A NEEDS AUDIT, WHICH DEMONSTRATES TO CLIENTS AREAS WHERE THEIR LIVES MAY NEED MORE ATTENTION. FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM, VISIT WWW.WRPIONEERS.ORG.

WILL ROGERS INSTITUTE RESEARCH & FELLOWSHIPS THE WILL ROGERS INSTITUTE (WRI) IS A PROGRAM THAT HAS ROOTS DATING BACK TO WHEN THE CHARITY OPERATED THE WILL ROGERS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. A PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE HOSPITAL WAS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH FOR PATIENT CARE AND TRAIN PULMONARY DOCTORS ON HOW TO PROVIDE THE BEST CARE FOR THEIR PATIENTS. WHILE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PULMONARY HEALTH AND REHABILITATION IS NOT NEW TO THE WILL ROGERS INSTITUTE, THE GLOBAL HEALTH PANDEMIC HAS SOLIDIFIED ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE MINDS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD. TO DATE, THE WILL ROGERS INSTITUTE HAS FUNDED $49,180,177 IN RESEARCH GRANTS, TRAINING FELLOWSHIPS, AND SPECIAL PROJECTS IN THE PULMONARY SECTOR. WHAT BEGAN AS A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH DURING THE 1950S AND 60S AT THE WILL ROGERS HOSPITAL IN UPSTATE NEW YORK, LIVES ON IN PRESENT DAY THROUGH THE WORK OF THE WILL ROGERS INSTITUTE. TODAY, THE WILL ROGERS INSTITUTE FUNDS THE WILL ROGERS INSTITUTE PULMONARY RESEARCH CENTER AT KECK SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OF UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND SIX FELLOWSHIPS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. DIRECTED BY DR. EDWARD CRANDALL, HASTINGS PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE, THE WILL ROGERS INSTITUTE PULMONARY RESEARCH CENTER IS FOCUSED ON NEW STRATEGIES FOR TREATMENT OF LUNG INJURY AND PULMONARY EDEMA FROM AIR POLLUTION AND OTHER LUNG INJURIES. LUNG INJURY STUDY WILL ALSO INCLUDE COVID RELATED AILMENTS, SPECIFICALLY CASES OF LONG-HAULER SYNDROME. TRAINING FELLOWSHIPS FOR PULMONARY MEDICINE CONTINUE AT BURKE REHABILITATION HOSPITAL (WHITE PLAINS, NY), UNIVERSITY NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL SCHOOL (DALLAS, TX), PATRICIA NEAL REHABILITATION HOSPITAL (KNOXVILLE, TN), UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES AND CEDARS-SINAI HOSPITAL AND RESEARCH CENTER (LOS ANGELES, CA). THE OBJECTIVE FOR FUNDING RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS IN LUNG DISEASES AT MAJOR UNIVERSITIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES IS TO HELP TRAIN FUTURE LEADERS OF LUNG RESEARCH AND THORACIC SPECIALISTS. AS WITH THE WRI LAB AT KECK, EACH OF THE FELLOWSHIP LOCATIONS ARE INVOLVED WITH TREATMENT PROGRAMS AND STUDIES TO HELP COVID LONG-HAULERS.

WILL ROGERS INSTITUTE - HEALTH EDUCATION ANOTHER OBJECTIVE OF THE WILL ROGERS INSTITUTE IS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THE PREVENTION OF CARDIO-PULMONARY DISORDERS, AS WELL AS, HOW TO MANAGE SUCH DISORDERS. THE WRI HAS A RICH HISTORY OF PRODUCING AND DISTRIBUTING PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS (PSAS) ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, FOR THEATRICAL, WEB-BASED AND TELEVISION AUDIENCES. PRINT PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS, AS WELL AS DIGITAL PSAS ARE ALSO PART OF THAT RICH HISTORY. SINCE THE 1950S, CELEBRITIES HAVE DONATED THEIR TIME AND STAR POWER TO HELP ATTRACT ATTENTION TO THE PSA AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TOPIC. IN 2021-22, WRI WAS CONTINUALLY ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, PRIMARILY FACEBOOK. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE POSTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA IS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT PULMONARY DISEASE AND DISORDERS, AS WELL AS JOIN THE EFFORTS TO CREATE AWARENESS ABOUT CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD), THE FOURTH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE USA. WRI ALSO CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS FOR COPD AWARENESS MONTH, A CAMPAIGN LED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH AND THE COPD FOUNDATION. THE WILL ROGERS INSTITUTES WEB SITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS CONTINUE TO BE VISITED BY THE PUBLIC, GENERATING THOUSANDS OF HITS PER YEAR AND PAGE VIEWS. THE SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS HAVE BECOME A PRIMARY SOURCE OF SHARING INFORMATION TO CONSTITUENTS AND THE PUBLIC ON A WEEKLY BASIS, TO SUPPLEMENT TRADITIONAL MEDIUMS, SUCH AS NEWSLETTERS AND E-MAIL BLASTS. WILL ROGERS INSTITUTE EDUCATIONAL BOOKLETS REMAIN AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC; HOWEVER, REQUESTS HAVE REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF FREE MATERIAL ON THE INTERNET, INCLUDING THE WRI WEBSITE WHICH HAS DOWNLOADABLE BOOKLETS AVAILABLE. IN 2021-22, WRI DISTRIBUTED HUNDREDS OF FREE BOOKLETS. THE MOST REQUESTED BOOKLET TOPICS ARE: THE TRUTH ABOUT SMOKING AND CHILDREN AND ASTHMA AND LIVING WELL WITH ASTHMA. ALTHOUGH THERE IS A LARGE AMOUNT OF FREE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET, THE FREE HEALTH BOOKLETS CONTINUE ARE REQUESTED FROM ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, EDUCATORS, AND HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENTS. PERPETUATING THE MEMORY OF WILL ROGERS THE WRMPPF, AS WELL AS BEING A HEALTH CHARITY, ALSO HAS THE PRIMARY MISSION OF PERPETUATING THE MEMORY OF THE GREAT HUMANITARIAN, WILL ROGERS. EFFORTS TO PERPETUATE THE MEMORY OF WILL ROGERS ARE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WILL ROGERS MUSEUM (CLAREMORE, OK), THE WILL ROGERS RANCH FOUNDATION (PACIFIC PALISADES, CA), AS WELL AS A PARTNERSHIP HAS DEVELOPED WITH THE HISTORIC SARANAC LAKE (THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOR SARANAC VILLAGE, NEW YORK WHERE THE WILL ROGERS HOSPITAL WAS LOCATED). SUPPORT FOR THE MUSEUM IS PROVIDED BY UTILIZING THEIR WILL ROGERS ASSETS AND CONTENT WITH THE PUBLIC, IN ADDITION TO, MAKING USE OF MUSEUM SUPPLIERS FOR INTERPRETIVE WILL ROGERS MEMORABILIA, WHICH WE GIVE TO DONORS AS GIFTS AND VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION AWARDS, ESPECIALLY TO INDIVIDUALS WORKING IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. THE WRMPPF COLLABORATES WITH THE WILL ROGERS RANCH FOUNDATION BY PROVIDING BACK OFFICE AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. THE WILL ROGERS RANCH FOUNDATION IS A SMALL GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION WITH NO STAFF. WRMPPF ALSO PARTNERS WITH THE RANCH FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT VOLUNTEER DOCENT TRAININGS AND MATERIALS, AS WELL AS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR PARK ATTENDEES.