Hi John,
My name is Lauren Toncich — and for the past seven years, I’ve helped lead the team behind the curtain at every Turning Point USA event.
Making sure the lights hit at the right moment, the music is pumping through the crowd, and tens of thousands of people walk into something unforgettable.
I've never emailed you directly before.
But if you’ve ever seen the opening night of AmericaFest… felt the electricity of a Student Action Summit crowd… or watched one of our massive rallies ignite a room…
Then you’ve witnessed the kind of energy Charlie dreamed of — brought to life by our incredible events team. |
Above: That’s me with Charlie, backstage at last year’s AmFest making sure every detail was perfect before showtime. |
At the heart of every single Turning Point event is this one truth: Young Americans deserve a stage worthy of the fight they’re in.
And AmericaFest — especially this year — is our most important stage of all.
This December 18–21 in Phoenix, thousands of students will walk into the most powerful conservative gathering in America.
It will be our first AmFest without Charlie.
This is the stage he built — with vision, grit, and sky-high standards.
Charlie poured everything into these events, because he believed students deserved more than beige ballrooms and lazy lectures.
He believed they needed to FEEL the mission — That they were part of something unstoppable... something big enough to change the world.
Backstage, I can still hear him directing the show: “Louder music... more sparks... bigger energy... how full are we looking?”
Not because he wanted flash for the sake of flash...
But because he knew energy moves people. Environments shape conviction.
And atmosphere matters when you’re calling students into the fight of their lives. |
This year’s AmFest?
I’ve never seen more students eager to be part of it.
Nearly 6,000 are registered. Another 2,200 are on the waitlist.
And we only have a few days left to get them in.
John, these students aren’t looking for entertainment...
They’re looking for courage, purpose, and a movement to belong to.
They’re stepping onto hostile campuses. They’re getting flak from Leftist professors.
Many are leading Turning Point chapters in places where they’re told to sit down, shut up — or worse.
They want to stand for America... They just need a chance to stand with others who will, too.
And when they get to AmFest, it’s not just the main stage that changes their lives.
Behind the lights and cameras, they sit in smaller breakout rooms — face-to-face with staff and speakers who show them exactly how to lead. |
They learn how to organize. How to launch and grow chapters. How to push back against the Left — strategically and fearlessly.
They’re trained to fight — and win.
Because inspiration is just the beginning. We want every student walking out of AmFest equipped for the battlefield they’re stepping into.
John, that’s where you can make a difference.
Every $50 you give today helps sponsor a student to attend AmericaFest. And today, your gift will be MATCHED — dollar-for-dollar.
That means:
🔥 $50 sends TWO students
🔥 $100 sends FOUR
🔥 $250 sends EIGHT, and more.
You can be the reason a future leader walks into AmFest this December — instead of staying home wondering if they’re alone in this fight. |
Every year, I see it firsthand:
Students walk in with doubts, with fears, with barely enough money to afford the flight.
They walk out with confidence, connection, and a new sense of calling.
I've seen them go home and start chapters. I've seen them run for office.
Many tell me — even years later, that this one event changed everything.
So no — I’m not just asking you to sponsor an “event."
I’m asking you to help change the trajectory of a young patriot.
A young patriot who could be the next leader, the next fighter, the next firebrand that helps save this country. |
John, I know what Charlie would want right now.
He’d want every seat filled. He’d want AmFest to echo with boldness and fire.
He’d want us to fight like he’s still backstage — still calling for more sparks.
Most of all, he’d want every student who made the trip to believe they were part of something bigger than themselves.
To walk in searching for purpose — and leave filled with it. .
Let’s make sure every young patriot who wants to fight for this country gets their chance — and gets to Phoenix this December. |
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For Charlie,
Lauren Toncich
Vice President of Events
Turning Point USA |
4940 East Beverly Road
Phoenix, Arizona 85044 | | |
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