WILL ROGERS MOTION PICTURE PIONEERS FOUNDATION

Pioneers Assistance ProgramThe Pioneers Assistance Fund (PAF) provides financial assistance for health and welfare issues to people who work in theatrical entertainment. Assistance is provided on a sliding scale for people who have worked a minimum of three years in the industry up to people who have worked an entire career in the industry. The PAF is funded by restricted donations from entertainment industry companies, foundations and individuals who work in the theatrical entertainment industry. People who have worked in theatrical entertainment for a minimum of three years are eligible to receive financial assistance and counseling due to accident, illness, natural disaster, financial hardship, and medical issues. PAF provided long-term type assistance to 13 clients due to quality-of-life issues. Short-term assistance was given to 1,586 clients primarily for housing insecurity, medical rehabilitation, medical related equipment, burial and cremation expenses, and natural disaster relief. The total number of people who contacted PAF and received a minimum of counseling help or resource referral was 2,138. 2024-2025 the U.S. saw numerous natural disasters including severe storms and tornado outbreaks, winter storms, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and drought-related events. The Pioneers Assistance Fund provided more than $215,000 in emergency grants to more than 1,000 film industry members impacted by natural disasters including hurricanes Beryl, Francine, Helene, and Milton.On January 7, 2025, fires broke out across Southern California in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The fires burned roughly 37,500 acres combined and destroyed more than 16,000 structures. The Pioneers Assistance Fund provided emergency assistance to nearly 100 individuals spending a total of $70,652 on industry members who either lost work due to the fires or who sustained damage to their homes.In 2024-25, the top three reasons for financial assistance are: 1. Rent and household financial hardship 2. Accident/Natural Disaster relief and 3. Medical treatments and care. The age range for long-term assistance recipients is 64 - 99, with many of those receiving assistance between the ages 71 90. The short-term client ages are from 16-89 years of age, with the majority receiving financial assistance in the 21-25 age group.Social workers continue to find a sizable number of people seeking financial assistance are employed, but live under a very tight budget, due to many factors. One accident, illness or unforeseen incident can create a household crisis. PAF clients reflect the greater circumstance affecting middle-class workers in the USA, most are barely keeping up with financial demands of day-to-day life. The Pioneers Assistance Fund continued the effort to educate industry members through increased presence on social media, frequent email newsletters, and the INNERMISSION program which provides short-form digestible videos (primarily made for the Instagram and YouTube social media platforms) on various topics aimed at maintaining overall health through video interviews with experts in fields of mental health and financial wellness. In 24-25 the INNERMISSION Program offered a series on Healthy Relationships as well as a series on the Importance of a Healthy Diet. Combined, the two series garnered more than 100,000 views on Instagram and another 16,500 views on YouTube. Due to the increased research findings on the importance of sleep, exercise, and meditation, all created content focuses on tips to achieving a healthy living lifestyle. Social workers are now screening for Depression, Suicidality, and a Needs Audit, which demonstrates to clients areas where their lives may need more attention. For more detailed information about the program, visit www.wrpioneers.org.

Will Rogers Institute Research & Fellowships The Will Rogers Institute (WRI) is a program that has roots dating back to when the charity operated the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital. A primary objective of the hospital was to conduct research for patient care and train pulmonary doctors on how to provide the best care for their patients. To date, the Will Rogers Institute has funded more than $50 million in research grants, training fellowships, and special projects in the pulmonary sector. What began as a training program for medical research during the 1950s and 60s at the Will Rogers Hospital in upstate New York, lives on in present day through the work of the Will Rogers Institute. Today, the Will Rogers Institute funds the Will Rogers Institute Pulmonary Research Center at Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, and five fellowships across the United States. Directed by Edward Crandall, PhD, MD, the Will Rogers Institute Pulmonary Research Center at USC and its laboratory group have achieved major advances in research related to lung injury, pulmonary edema the abnormal buildup of fluid in the air spaces of the lungs and pulmonary fibrosis. In 2024-2025, the Will Rogers Institute Pulmonary Research Center produced two peer-reviewed research articles and five scientific abstracts. Overall, Dr. Crandall has published 173 peer-reviewed scientific articles, 375 research abstracts and 27 book chapters. Will Rogers Institute Pulmonary Research Center publications have been cited by other researchers worldwide over 7,000 times. The Will Rogers Institute funding has been instrumental in helping Dr. Crandall advance pulmonary research and train numerous fellows in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. Training fellowships for pulmonary medicine continue at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital (White Plains, NY), New York University, University of Texas Medical School (Dallas, TX), Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Hospital (Knoxville, TN), and Cedars-Sinai Hospital and Research Center (Los Angeles, CA). The objective for funding research fellowships in lung diseases at major universities throughout the United States is to help train future leaders of lung research and thoracic specialists.