Philanthropist Lynn Friess announced on social media that she will donate $1 million to support new Turning Point USA chapters across the country in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Lynn Friess and her late husband, investment manager and political donor Foster Friess, were early funders and supporters of Turning Point USA.
“Foster always believed in Charlie’s vision and often said that helping Charlie build TPUSA was the best investment he ever made. I know he would be grateful to see how Charlie’s legacy is inspiring young Americans to stand up for faith and freedom,” Lynn Friess wrote in a note that was posted on the X account of advocacy group Foster’s Outriders.
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“I invite you to join me in honoring Charlie by helping this incredible movement grow even stronger,” she continued.
Kirk, who was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 at the age of 18 with Tea Party activist Bill Montgomery.
Turning Point USA is a conservative nonprofit that describes its mission as “to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government.”
In the post, Lynn Friess said that the “powerful and heartfelt address” by Kirk’s wife, Erika, on Friday had “deeply moved” her.
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Andrew Kolvet, the executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” who also serves as a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on Monday that the organization has received more than 37,000 requests to start new chapters around the country.
“They just keep pouring in. And I think that’s just a testament to how Charlie’s message, his legacy… And, ultimately, his assassination has galvanized so many young people around this country,” Kolvet said.
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Kolvet said the organization has 900 official, school-sanctioned college chapters and 1,200 high school chapters across the country. He said Kirk’s mission had been to establish a club on every high school campus in America.
“He said, ‘we are going to be on every high school campus in the country.’ And his team looked at him like, Charlie, that’s—I mean, we’re at 1,200. There’s 23,000, 24,000 in the county. Let’s, you know, let’s put a more reasonable expectation here,” Kolvet recalled.
But, after the recent surge of requests to start chapters, Kolvet said Kirk’s vision is becoming a reality far more quickly than they ever imagined.
