The Isaac Graham Foundation
Thank you for visiting The Isaac Graham Foundation.
We are founded in honor of the late Isaac Graham Cyrus.
Our purpose is to help school age boys and girls who want to play sports but are financially challenged.
Our goal is to work with local schools, coaches and teachers who will direct us to students who need our help.
We believe that no child should be left behind and we want to impact their lives in a meaningful way by paying for or offset the cost for sports equipment, uniforms and registration fees.
Your support will greatly impact lives!
We are set up with a 501(c)3 non-profit status and every donation can be written off for tax purposes.
Whether you can afford a large donation or just $5 - $25 per month; every dollar will be put to great use!
Our Story...
Friday October 11, 2024 Isaac Graham Cyrus age 23 was hit and killed instantly by a drunk driver going approximately 87 MPH.
His mother received a visit from law enforcement to let her know that her son was in an accident and didn't make it. It is a visit that no parent wants to receive.
Family and friends were there right away to help console and seek to understand how they would live without him.
The very next day his Mother Tamara (Tammy) Wooldridge and her sister Melinda Phillips began thinking what could be done to keep his legacy alive.
In less that 24 hours they birthed an idea to start a foundation that would help school age boys and girls who may have financial struggles to be able to play sports in spite of those challenges.
The name of the foundation came easy as he was named after Isaac from the bible and his middle name from the late Billy Graham who lead many souls to the lord. There it was! The Isaac Graham Foundation. The two of them didn't waste any time getting it started.
Although putting it all together has been way more challenging than it sounded; they still went full force with the learning curve by asking some questions and using their good friend GOOGLE!
We have put together a team of people with huge hearts who loved and cared deeply for Isaac and every person wants this foundation to make a huge difference in the lives of thousands of children.
It is our goal that one day it will be nationwide and eventually global!
We do have one request; please don't drink and drive if you've had more than the legal limit or feel you are in too impaired to be on the road, please call someone to take you home. I promise, they will think you are a hero instead of taking a chance to hurt or kill some amazing person.
This includes driving under the influence of drugs as well.
There are many innocent lives traveling the roads wanting to get home to see their family and pets just as Isaac was on his way home to do.
He visited briefly with a young lady he was starting to talk to earlier that Friday and had just left from visiting with one of his dearest childhood friends to head home, unfortunately he never made it there.
A little about Isaac
Isaac Graham Cyrus was born in Lynchburg, Va. to loving parents Michael Cyrus and Tamara (Tammy) Wooldridge on April 4, 2001.
He loved everyone HE came in contact with and rightfully so; he was fortunate to be brought up with an amazing family life, attend church AND given lots of love and encouragement.
Isaac was the life of every function he attended!
he made people laugh at his mischief, facial expressions and jokes!
He played baseball and basketball while attending school. One of his favorite things to do was shooting the hoops one on one with friends to pass the time away after graduating high school.
In the short 9 years his grandfather was around; Homer Wooldridge Jr instilled in him his love for sports and wanted him to love it like he loved it.
Mr. Wooldridge is mostly remembered for all the years he was a coach in the Bedford County, Virginia area, pushing his players to become better athletes and learn to work as a team.
Isaac had good taste in the NFL as he loved the Dallas Cowboys. There was always a big time to be had with family who pulled for any team but Dallas!
He also loved and pulled for the New York Yankees and saw Derek Jeter as quite the role model.
It was like Isaac seemed to have grown into a young man his last year of life and was working hard to start fulfilling some of his dreams.
Isaac had visited with his best friend and was on his way home to his Meemaws where he resided for 6 years.
Unfortunately Isaac never made it home as he was struck head on by a drunk driver and lost his life instantly around 7:16 pm 10/11/2024.
The family couldn't stay quiet in keeping his memory alive as he was such a beloved family member.
It is our goal here at the Isaac Graham Foundation that his legacy lives through other young aspiring boys and girls who need just a little financial help and backing.
We feel that Isaac would want others to know and experience what it feels like to be on the field or the court, in a jersey or uniform, feeling the rush and learning how to play as a team.
May we use this foundation to transform lives one ball glove at a time, one baseball bat at a time, one registration fee at a time and our mission grow to eventually help thousands every year to change their life.
Meet our Executive Board
The Executive Board will collaborate closely with Board Members to implement policies and achieve their objectives.
We will negotiate funding, oversee performance, and manage the hiring and compensation of paid positions.
Additionally, we will establish rules, create budgets, partner with organizations for fundraising events, address urgent matters, and assist in decision-making among the Board Members.
Meet our Board of Directors
You are going to love our diverse team of loyal members ranging from family and friends, who come from many careers to include: teachers, coaches, insurance agents, city workers, business owners, bankers, students and more!
Although diverse in careers and hobbies, they have one common denominator; they all love Isaac and want to see his legacy live through helping young boys and girls play sports.
We believe playing sports helps a person grow individually yet learn to play in a team environment!
Are Angels Amongst Us?
Meet Isaac's Angel...Lisa Tars!
On her way to a date, Lisa found herself traveling on Route 122 towards Forest, Virginia, a place she had never been. By sheer coincidence, she was in the right place at the right time when Isaac's car was hit head on and veered off the road down an embankment.
Without hesitation, Lisa parked her car and rushed to help, joined by another good Samaritan named David who was in Revival and heard the crash inside the church. As a registered nurse, she felt a faint pulse but it quickly faded. Our family found comfort knowing that Lisa was there for him in his final moments, holding on to him as he met his Lord and Savior.
Needless to say, Lisa we love you for being so brave that night and taking care of our Isaac Graham Cyrus!
When she is not working long hours helping those in need, she can be found at the gym, running and spending time with friends and family.
