Every so often, you meet someone whose very presence changes the way you see the world. For Share in the JOY, that person is Rick Trip.
Rick is more than a supporter of our mission. He is family, a brother-in-arms, and a constant reminder of why we do this work. He is living proof that a child’s story doesn’t end with hardship, it can be rewritten into resilience, triumph, and hope.
Rick’s journey began in foster care, in places and moments no child should ever have to endure. His childhood was marked by challenges and uncertainty, but through it all he found refuge in creativity. A simple piano in a group home became his sanctuary. Music gave him the strength to cope, to dream, and to hold on when the world felt overwhelming. That spark of hope carried him forward into adulthood, shaping him into the artist, business owner, husband, and father he is today.
Fast forward to 2022, when Rick’s story intersected with ours at Share in the JOY. What began as a simple holiday idea, bringing Santa to visit one foster family, grew into a full-fledged event because Rick opened his heart and his space. He told us about Boulder City Home for Children, the very orphanage where he once lived, and encouraged us to reach out. They had changed their name to St. Jude's Ranch for Children, and that conversation Rick encouraged became the seed that grew into Share the JOY, our very first holiday event we hosted at St. Jude's Ranch.
Rick walked those grounds with us before the party, revisiting the rooms where he once slept, ate, and dreamed. And in a moment that none of us will ever forget, he sat down at the piano, the same kind of piano that had been his lifeline as a boy, and began to play. It was raw. It was real. It was the sound of a child who had once clung to music for survival, now grown into a man using that same gift to inspire the next generation.
At that first holiday event, Rick was placed at a craft table. To some, it may have looked like an ordinary assignment, right? Markers, paper, and kids passing by. But what happened at that table was extraordinary. Five teenagers, kids who might normally be too guarded to engage, gathered around Rick and leaned in. They weren’t just learning art techniques. They were listening to his story. They were hearing from someone who had once been exactly where they were. Someone who had walked their road and still found his way to a brighter future. Rick spoke to them not about pity, but about possibility. Not about what they lacked, but about the strength within them.
That moment, teenagers transfixed by a tattooed artist sharing his truth, remains one of the most powerful images of what Share in the JOY is. It reminded us all that the greatest gift we can give a child isn’t just a toy or a wrapped present. It’s hope. It's time. It’s the belief that no matter what they’ve been through, their story isn’t finished.
Since that day, Rick has never left our side. He returned to HoliJOY as we grew from serving dozens to serving hundreds of children. He lent his time and talents at our inaugural Fatherfigurehood event, where he guided kids through creating a custom Las Vegas portrait which is a piece of art that now hangs in our office as a permanent reminder of his generosity and heart. He has become a cornerstone of our programs, showing up again and again for kids in foster care.
What makes Rick so extraordinary is not just his willingness to serve, but the way he serves. He doesn’t come as someone swooping in to “save” kids. He comes as someone who has lived it. Someone who speaks with authenticity, honesty, and compassion. He sits shoulder to shoulder with young people and says without words: I see you. I understand you. And you are not alone.
Rick is one of the most important friends Share in the JOY has. His story is part of our story now. His fingerprints are on the lives of the hundreds of children he has inspired through our programs. And his legacy will live on in the countless young people who carry his message of hope forward into their own futures.
To us, Rick is more than a volunteer, more than a supporter, more than a partner. He is living proof of resilience. He is an artist of the human spirit. He is a man who turned pain into purpose and who now helps children do the same.
We are proud to call Rick Trip our friend. We are humbled by his generosity. And we are forever grateful for the way he embodies the very mission of Share in the JOY: to bring light, love, and hope into the lives of children who need it most.
Here's to you, Rick.
