Thanks to an endowment in her honor, Helena De Fina’s work will continue long into the future, despite her untimely death in January.

De Fina devoted much of her life to preventing addictions and alcohol abuse among youth and promoting wellness in Park County communities, and her friends and her husband are working to make sure that legacy lives on.

“Helena was passionate about people having the opportunity to experience wellness,” said Diane Ballard, a friend and co-worker of De Fina’s, who began the effort to establish an endowment in De Fina’s name.

“Helena truly believed that there is good in everyone, and that everyone deserves to be well,” Ballard said. “Establishing this endowment fund felt like a natural and sincere way to honor Helena’s spirit. The fund will help create and sustain efforts to enhance the well being of people in our community.

Now a reality, The Helena De Fina Community Wellness Endowment Fund will provide “support to organizations that promote physical and spiritual health and wellness for the people of Park County and surrounding areas,” according to a brochure about the fund.

Ballard and another friend, Dawn Garrison, worked with the Community Foundation in Laramie to establish the fund. Along the way, they asked for, and received, the enthusiastic support of De Fina’s widower, Anthony Polvere.

“Helping to continue work that was close to Helena’s heart is a very meaningful way to keep her beautiful, positive spirit alive and present,” Polvere wrote in the brochure.

Money donated to the fund will be invested, and interest earned on that investment will be used to provide grants for projects that match De Fina’s priorities.

“She worked hard to support opportunities for people to benefit from the beauty of art, music, poetry and movement,” Ballard said. “She also worked hard at reducing obstacles to wellness such as substance abuse, injustice and disease.”

Polvere said organizers hope to have $1,000 to give annually to appropriate groups and projects. The immediate goal is to raise $25,000.

“I think we’re halfway there,” he said.

“All this is done with the Wyoming Community Foundation, so everything is done fairly and above board,” he said.

He said he gets periodic notices from the Wyoming Community Foundation about donations made to the fund.

“I want to send a personal thank you to these folks,” he said. “I want to treat people who give us $25 the same way as the people who give us much larger sums. It’s the heart behind the support that is most important to me, not the amount.”

“It’s flattering, overwhelming, and humbling, but the longer I live here, the more I realize it’s all part of the character of the folks who live in this region,” he said. “It doesn’t all have to come out of the big cities. It’s amazing how many people contribute.”

Ballard said the fund already is receiving generous financial support.

“I think she (De Fina) would be very pleased,” she said.

To donate to The Helena De Fina Community Endowment Fund, visit wycf.org and click on “Donate Now,” then indicate the amount. Under the heading, “Please restrict my gift to,” click on “An Existing Fund,” then write The Helena De Fina Community Endowment Fund in the blank below, and fill out the rest of the form.

Donors also may send a check made out to the Wyoming Community Foundation to 1472 N. 5th St., Suite 201, Laramie WY 82072, and indicate on the memo line or an accompanying note that the donation is for The Helena De Fina Community Endowment Fund.

Donations are tax deductible.