The Colin Yager “Raised Hell, Raised Hope” Recovery Award

Colin Yager was irreverent, joyous, and spontaneous—he never just entered a room, he detonated it, bringing light, laughter, and just the right amount of chaos. During his last seven months of sobriety, and in so much of his life before that, he touched countless lives, reminding us that recovery is messy, human, and often hilarious in between the hard parts. Colin passed away in September 2025 after a relapse, and his family and friends believe his legacy deserves to be remembered in a way that reflects both his wild spirit and the hope he carried.

The Colin Yager “Raised Hell, Raised Hope” Recovery Award will provide annual grants to queer people in recovery—or to organizations supporting queer people in recovery—to help cover treatment expenses, sober living, education, transportation, or other costs that make recovery possible.

Hosted under the 501(c)(3) of Mid-Missouri PrideFest, with the Columbia Quorus also standing in partnership, the award will be guided by an advisory committee including Colin’s family and community. Funds will be raised separately and dedicated exclusively to this award.

Our goal is to present the first Colin Yager “Raised Hell, Raised Hope” Recovery Award at PrideFest on October 4–5, 2025. With your help, we can raise enough to support one or more recipients this year. The more we raise, the more we can do—and we’ll be sure to share the stories of who you’ve helped in Colin’s name.

Colin raised hell, and he raised hope—this award makes sure he still does.

Update: WOW! We soared past our initial $500 goal within hours of going live, so we've updated it to $1,000. Thank you for your generosity. Colin's legacy shines all the brighter because of it. 9/11/2025 - 8:30 PM

Update: Within minutes (literally) of us posting our last update, we flew past our $1,000 goal. We've increased our goal to $1,500. To be clear, this could cover months of someone's housing at a sober living facility, pay a full treatment bill, or fund a fantastic program for queer individuals at an agency. Your generosity is making this happen. Colin's memory is making this happen. Thank you. 9/11/2025 - 9:08 PM

Update: We surpassed another milestone, together. So far, 29 donors have raised over $1,500. We are increasing the goal to $2,000. Thank you. 9/11/2025 - 11:02 PM

Update: In less than 24 hours, we have already raised over $2,000. The outpouring of support you've provided is beyond touching. Every dollar you give will go directly to queer folks or queer-supporting organizations. Thank you for helping us make Colin's legacy shine. We are upping the goal to $2,500. 9/12/2025 - 10:57 AM

Update: Sometime over the weekend or Monday, we crossed $2,500! The goal has been increased to $3,000. Thank you for your ongoing generosity. 9/16/2026 - 10:32 AM

Update: We are over our $3,000 goal! We've modestly upped it to $3,250. We'd love for you to continue contributing if you are able.
Learn more about our governance, accountability, and award structure here.