Dave Mason's Legacy Fund

Let's Build Dave Mason's Living Legacy

Dave loved living in the Carson Valley, for its sweeping vistas, natural beauty, and the people who made it feel like home. These last six months, as his health became more and more of a balancing act, we were deeply grateful to entrust his journey to a team of caregivers at Carson Tahoe Health, who made it possible for him to extend the time he had left with dignity, grace, and every bit of his spirited presence filling each day.

Moved by the depth of our gratitude, we have established the Dave Mason Legacy Fund at Carson Tahoe. This independent, not-for-profit health system is a force of healing, truly embodying their mission to serve the community. We experienced their healing spirit first-hand when Dave was a patient and became further inspired once we learned of their pioneering crusade to reverse the youth mental health crisis gripping the nation.

If you want to share your love for Dave by contributing to a cause aligned with the essence of how he lived, 100% of the Dave Mason Legacy Fund supports the Carson Tahoe Vehicles of Change. This initiative meets kids, teachers, and families where they are, offering no-cost programming that addresses the root cause of today's turmoil, by establishing basic life skills kids are missing: resilience, connection, empathy, creativity... The Vehicles of Change are fostering the very qualities that forged Dave's legacy...a trailblazing spirit, kinship with the lifesaving power of music, love of art and real food, and the belief that "singing one's song" makes life matter.

These four vehicles deliver play-based, clinically guided skill-building to schools, community centers, and beyond, while developing scalable curriculum and tools to reverse this crisis, first locally, then nationally. Not to diagnose, but to equip. Not to stigmatize, but to normalize. By removing barriers like cost, transportation, and fear, the Vehicles of Change are proving that prevention can catalyze real change—not just for individual children, but for entire systems. Dave approached health holistically and believed this pioneering program would provide kids with the tools they need to thrive, regardless of what life throws their way.

Carson Tahoe understands that when healthcare shifts from crisis responder to community builder, outcomes change and lives are saved. Their Vehicles of Change initiative is a blueprint that could alter the trajectory of an entire generation, and Dave was eager to support this lifesaving movement, ensuring no child reaches a breaking point before we reach them. We welcome you to join in memory of Dave’s loving heart, innovative spirit, and brilliant creativity—all of which were present in him all the days of his life.

Thank you so very, very much for loving Dave as he loved you. Please know that we are yours in heartbreak yet filled with hope for the future.

~ Winifred and the Mason Family

To learn more about Carson Tahoe Health Vehicles of Change, please click here.