TRUCKEE, Calif – When Ian Casey, a Glenshire Elementary, Sierra Mountain Middle School and Truckee High School graduate, died unexpectedly from a heart condition in 2017, his childhood friends were approached by his father with a simple request: help raise money for a scholarship Casey’s employer had established in his name.

So they organized a golf tournament.

“We thought it was going to be a one-time thing honestly,” said Kevin Embertson, Casey’s childhood friend and co-founder and board president of the Ian Casey Foundation. “We thought we would raise like $5,000, but we ended up raising like $15,000, and people wanted to come back.”

That first tournament funded a study abroad scholarship at Cal Poly, where Casey earned his degree after studying abroad in the Czech Republic. But after seeing how much the inaugural tournament raised, Casey’s friends established the Ian Casey Foundation, a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit governed largely by those who grew up alongside him. The goals was to honor his name even further.

Because Casey spent his childhood in Truckee, playing sports, attending local schools and building lifelong friendships, the board decided to keep the foundation’s donations in the community he called home.

Over the past eight years, the foundation has grown exponentially. Since 2019, the organization has donated more than $153,700 to 33 local organizations. About 35% of its funding has supported youth sports, 30% has gone toward schools and education, 25% has benefited youth wellness and community programs, and the remaining 10% has supported arts and music.

By the end of July, the foundation expects to donate an additional $50,000 to more than 25 youth organizations, bringing its total donations to more than $200,000 since the nonprofit was established.

“Ian was one of our best friends, and losing him was a tough thing to deal with,” Embertson said. “But seeing what we’ve created since then is pretty special.”

Today, the foundation is entirely volunteer-run and focuses on supporting youth organizations throughout the Tahoe-Truckee region. Its primary fundraiser, an annual golf tournament held in Casey’s honor, has sold out repetitively.

Donation recipients have included organizations all across Truckee-Tahoe, ranging from InnerRhythms Dance Studio and the KidZone Museum to summer camp programs in the area, the Boys & Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe, Truckee High School’s National Art Honor Society, Truckee Little League, Truckee Youth Football, and plenty more.

The foundation’s impact has also earned community recognition. It was voted second in the Sierra Sun’s 2024 Best of Lake Tahoe nonprofit category, third in 2026, and received the Truckee Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Community First Award.

Casey was remembered among his friends for dressing as Mario for several Halloweens in a row. After his passing, his friends incorporated the iconic video game character into the foundation’s logo, a small tribute to the friend whose legacy continues to create opportunities for local youth.

What started as a single tournament to honor the life of Casey has become something much larger. The foundation is currently encouraging local organizations to apply for sponsorships and funding for youth-focused programs and projects.