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2nd Annual Ryan United Brewmaster’s Dinner

On Saturday, October 8, 2011, at 5:30 PM, The Best Western Great Northern Hotel and the Silver Star Steak Company in Helena, Montana will be hosting the 2nd Annual Ryan United Brewmaster’s Dinner to help raise money for Ryan United. The Lewis and Clark and Blackfoot River Breweries will be on site to feature their handcrafted beers which will be paired with selected food courses (to be announced). In addition there will be a silent auction and live entertainment at the event. Tickets to the benefit will be $50/per person; $260/per table for a corporate table and proceeds from the event will assist Ryan United with providing its community safety program to several communities in Montana as well as forward its mission of ending child predation in America.

Click here to purchase your tickets

Ryan United announces 2012 opening of a Montana guest Ranch

Monday, July 11, 2011
Ryan United, a nonprofit organization based in Helena, Montana, announces the 2012 opening of a Montana guest ranch for siblings and families from around the country who have experienced the loss of a child through abduction and/or murder.  

Ryan United was created in memory of eight year old Ryan VanLuchene, who was abducted and murdered by a repeat sex offender in the community of Libby, Montana.  Ryan’s brother, Derek VanLuchene, now an 18 year veteran Law Enforcement Officer and President and Founder of Ryan United remembers his brother with love, “He appreciated the outdoor paradise he was afforded every day of his young life until it was taken from him by a sexual predator in our backyard”, VanLuchene said. “This had horrific psychological toll my sisters, parents, extended family and everyone that knew Ryan - it was a spider web effect”.   In the days, months, and years after Ryan's senseless death, the VanLuchene family tried to reassemble themselves and simply go on with their lives, but it just isn't easy to do.

The first annual “A Leg Up on Life Camp” will be hosted in the Teton Canyon - one of the most beautiful settings in all of Montana – beginning in the summer of 2012.  With its breath-taking surroundings, the Seven Lazy P Ranch is the perfect setting to promote healing.  Ryan United under the direction of Derek VanLuchene and staff will work in conjunction with the Seven Lazy P Guest Ranch to foster an environment helping those who have lost children in similar ways discover a contemplative new beginning.  It is a first step to address the process of life restoration.  The camp will focus on seven key elements required for healing.   Owners of the Seven Lazy P Ranch for over 50 years, Chuck and Sharon Blixrud, have described the setting as “a place of quiet restorative peacefulness" which not only emulates the setting perfectly, but is the central mission of the Leg Up On Life Camp.  The Seven Lazy P Ranch provides a beautiful, natural setting that guest will find inspirational. “I wish my family would have had a place like this to go to be together and understand what obstacles we may face during the grieving process, now we have a change to provide that for others” VanLuchene said. 

In addition, the Ranch has been identified for a National Memorial to Children lost through exploitation and abduction.  Individualized memorial plaques with personalized rustic Montana brands will be permanently engraved on the monument by the families to remember and honor their loved one. 

To make this possible, VanLuchene has teamed with the following non-profits who share the same mission: 

“Our partners in this are amazing.  They are folks from around the country who have experienced first-hand what my family did in 1987”, VanLuchene said. “They bring so much to the table as far as perspective and understanding … what families who attend our camp may need”.  Ryan United and its partners in the project are currently accepting donations to help bring families to the camp. “We are relying on donations from folks to make this possible. I really think that people will understand how much this will help families and will want to be involved.” said VanLuchene.  To make a donation to Ryan United, please contact Derek VanLuchene at 406-439-8748, or send your tax-deductible contribution to Ryan United, 800 East 6th Avenue, Helena, Montana 59601.  To learn more about Ryan United, visit: www.ryanunited.org.  For more information about the Seven Lazy P Ranch, visit: www.sevenlazyp.com.

Ryan United backs important DNA law

Monday, November 08, 2010
Every day innocent people needlessly become victims of violent crimes. Most of these are committed by repeat offenders. By passing state legislation that enables law enforcement to collect DNA from felony arrestees, at the same time as fingerprints, your state can catch criminals sooner. That means you can prevent most of these crimes, save more lives, and provide more protection to the innocent.

What is DNA Testing?

DNA is the most powerful tool available for identification in forensic investigations. Because of its ability to link physical evidence found at a crime scene to a single person, it is often referred to as a “digital fingerprint.” This method is so precise that it can ensure pinpoint accuracy, down to one in a billion. And, unlike fingerprints, which can only be found if a suspect touches something, DNA exists in every cell of the human body, from hair and blood to skin and tears, and can be shed or deposited while committing a crime. That means it is often the only means for accurate identification.

DNA Databases

DNA databases make it possible for law enforcement crime laboratories to electronically search and compare collected DNA profiles to crime scene evidence. In the United States, the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) links all local, state, and national databases and contains more than 5 million records. Currently, legislation exists on the federal level and in 23 states, enabling investigators to collect DNA upon arrest for certain felony crimes.

Ryan United is proud to support this important initiative.  If you would like more information on how to get invloved, please visit: www.DNASAVES.org