The Michael George – Kyle Kerschen Search Aid Foundation is a charitable organization established as a non-profit limited liability company under the laws of the state of New Mexico. The sole purpose of the Foundation is to provide a source of financial aid, assistance, and encouragement to families suffering the pain of family members missing and the high costs of search, rescue, and recovery.

  

Among the principal purposes and intent of the Foundation is to provide financial assistance to meet some of the costs of search helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft when needed; to engage specially-trained search dogs when appropriate; and to aid in meeting some of the base operations costs of volunteer searchers involved in organized search efforts. 

The Foundation honors the memories of Michael George and Kyle Kerschen, two young men lost while snow boarding at Wolf Creek Ski area in January 2008. The foundation also honors the great efforts of New Mexico and Colorado communities and their generous donations of time and treasure to support the George and Kerschen families and the friends of Michael and Kyle.

 The Foundation is established in recognition of the high costs associated with major search efforts and the inability of most families to sustain those costs in the searches for lost loved ones.

 

The Foundation’s purpose does not supplant or replace organized local and state government Search and Rescue organizations, but will work in concert with those organizations through direct association with affected families.

 

Funding for the Foundation will come through charitable, tax-deductible donations from the public at large.

A portion of the proceeds from The Challenge entry fee's and sponsorships will go to the Search Aid Foundation.