The Origins of The Ryan Project
On January 17th, 2009, Ryan Cook was brutally slain in his blue Honda at a Little Elm Park. His death gripped the hearts of many community members, including what would eventually become the visionaries of the Ryan Project. The Ryan Project first started when Little Elm area leader Jack Nulty received a phone call from Pastor/Police Officer Larry Dyer and Larry's wife, who were concerned about the safety of Little Elm youth. Recent events had been discussed in Pastor Dyer's congregation, many about gang-related activity, including auto break-ins, home break-ins and even a gang beating initiation at Stonebriar Mall. Because of the significance of problems presented, Larry and his wife firmly believed that something needed to be done sooner than later. Together with Jack Nulty, the first group meeting of what would become the Ryan Project took at Sertino's Cafe. Joining Jack and Larry were Town Manager Ivan Langford, Chief of Police Waylan Rhodes, LEISD Superintendent Steve Murray, TEC Superintendent Dr. Lisa Ashmore, Judge James DePiazza, Then-Mayor Frank Kastner, and Pastors: Hugene Purdy of Trinity Resources Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, Brad Sutton of Point Church, Richard Stevens of Living Word Baptist, Denise Peckham of Button Memorial Methodist, Judy Branton of Oak Point Methodist and Rob Moore of Point Church. Future Mayor Charles Platt and Future Town Council Member Curtis Cornelius also attended the meeting.
Since then, the number of members has grown, reflecting the diversity of Little Elm. They have met weekly in an effort to both discover the severity of problems in Little Elm and discover solutions to them.
Ryan Cook
Those who knew Ryan Cook described him as a warm, loving, non-judgmental and compassionate young man who loved life. He loved sports cars, motorcycles, water sports, and his very large family. He had a great sense of humor; he laughed and smiled easily. He never met a stranger, because he knew everyone from small children, to teens and adults. He was a very personable, well spoken young man who treated everyone with respect. Ryan touched the lives of many people and was always the first to come to the aid of someone in need. Ryan was very active in his school and the community. He mentored younger students, umpired during the summer for the youth sports association and helped in the concession stand during football games and track meets for the junior high and high school.
Ryan was everyone’s best friend because he listened, he laughed, he respected, he understood, he gave his time, but most of all he gave himself. His caring personality, beautiful dimpled smile and gentle ways will never be forgotten.
Who We Are Today
The Ryan Project has rapidly evolved and changed since some concerned citizens met together in a cafe back in March of 2009. The Ryan Project is now made up of many people, including city officials, school administrators, the Little Elm Ministerial Alliance (LEMA), judiciaries, law enforcement and general members of the public. We are becoming a recognized task force in the town of Little Elm and will continue to grow in both size and influence. We work tirelessly to build a system of organizations to work together in order to accomplish our mission.
