The foundation was established in 2019 to honor Beth Vissing Nieman, who passed away in 2018 after a courageous and hard-fought battle with cancer. In addition to being a daughter, sister, wife and friend to many, Beth was first and foremost a mother to three cherished children. In establishing the foundation, her family and friends agreed that Beth would want to help families in her community whose lives had been touched by cancer. Thus, the mission of Forever 49 is to assist students whose lives have been affected by cancer by providing tuition assistance.