What a difference a year makes, as we enjoy the holidays and recall at this time last year we were hoping we would be able to return to programs, but anxious about the ability to do so. As 2022 unfolded, however, we pursued our goal to transition back to Cayman and were successful in running two programs for first-time divers and a reunion program for divers we certified in 2019. It was a wonderful summer, we certified 12 new divers, and we offered our six returning divers another week of diving to refresh their skills and focus on team-building activities. We are immensely grateful to our generous Cayman-based sponsors who welcomed us back and enabled us to get back to doing what we do best.

On November 6th, our Charity Partner Team in this year’s 2022 TCS New York City Marathon did not disappoint, crossing the Finish Line and raising funds for our programs. The NYC Marathon has become our most effective and successful fundraiser and this year’s team significantly surpassed the team goal by raising more than $65,000.

2023 will be the 20-year anniversary of Stay-Focused, and we are preparing to celebrate what represents a significant milestone for us. We ran our first program in March 2004 with two participants and now, 19 years later, have certified in diving 145 teens and young adults with disabilities. In 2023, we will be hosting four Discover SCUBA events in four different cities (Baltimore, Denver, New York, and Rochester), which will enable us to expand our reach, offer more teens with disabilities the opportunity to experience SCUBA, and assist us in sourcing participants for our programs next summer.

All of us at Stay-Focused are looking forward to building on our success in 2023 and celebrating our 20-year anniversary. We thank all our friends, donors, sponsors, and volunteers for embracing the work we do and making it possible for us to enjoy unprecedented success in enhancing the lives of our participants.

We wish you enjoyable holidays and a happy and healthy start to the New Year.

Roger Muller
Founder/President