The Tri-County Scholarship Fund Young Professionals group held their annual fundraiser, called Toast for a Cause, on Friday, April 25th.  They raised more than $ 20,000 in scholarship funds for needy children in Morris, Passaic and Sussex counties.  Held at the elegant Midtown Loft and Terrace on 5th Avenue in New York City, which includes a roof-top terrace blocks away from the Empire state Building, the event had a Gatsby-styled theme, including flapper dresses, fedoras and zoot suits, giving the event a 1920’s feel.  More than 200 young professionals turned out to support Toast for a Cause which funds scholarships to New Jersey children with financial need.  Thank you to all that attended and all of the generous sponsors. To view pictures from the event, go to: http://www.rokstarentertainment.com/guest/gallery.php?id=CQDBG

Tri-County Scholarship Fund is on Facebook!!! Please help us get to 500 likes in the next few weeks.  Like us and then ask all your friends to like us. Why? Because we want everyone to know about the great work and the great kids of Tri-County.  While you’re at it, check out our very cool recent events.

I want to thank you for helping us to improve the lives of some 500 children each year.  Your generosity to the Tri-County Scholarship Fund has enabled us to significantly raise the scholarship amounts we give to students in grades K-12 in Morris, Passaic and Sussex counties. How does your donation help our students?  Let me introduce you to Alessandra Veliz, from Paterson, NJ.  Alessandra is the daughter of a single parent and a senior at De Paul Catholic High school in Wayne, NJ.  Alessandra captivated the minds and hearts of all who were present at our annual awards last October with her moving testimony about the difference a great school makes.  Listen to her words: I live across the street from one of the main public high schools in Paterson and there are days when I run into the kids I knew in elementary school.  Some of them have chosen not to go to college because they don’t see the point.  Others are hanging out with the wrong crowds to escape trouble at home and ruining their futures before their lives have really started.  I see a lot of lost potential, and dreams that are abandoned because of a need for support that wasn’t there for them. I can stand here and tell you that my story is special, but the fact is that, thanks to your help, a lot of young men and women with similar stories of struggle have the potential to do great things now.  Your generosity not only inspires me to be different, but to MAKE A DIFFERENCE.” At the young age of sixteen, Alessandra knew what she had been called to do:  to be a writer and a filmmaker, to inspire millions and to touch hearts.  Now she’s 17, and Alessandra was notified recently that she was accepted to the #1 ranked film school in the country:  the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University!  I’m confident we’ll be hearing a lot more of Alessandra in the future. That’s the difference your donation makes! There are many students like Alessandra.  In fact, in the past three years, nine of our Tri-County scholars have received full tuition scholarships to Colgate, Cornell, Villanova, Rutgers College of Engineering (2), Georgetown, UCLA and Notre Dame and now, NYU!  Many others who wish (or need) to remain closer to home, have received significant scholarships to attend Seton Hall, The College of St. Elizabeth, Montclair State, William Paterson, Fairleigh Dickinson and Caldwell College, among others. When you realize the costs of the average private school ($12,000 for high school and $5,000 for grade school), and then compute that our typical profile is a single parent of three making $27,000/year, you get an insight into how critical these scholarships really are!  Your help is a game-changer and a life-saver. On behalf of these wonderful kids, I’m asking if you would consider a tax-deductible gift of $100, $250, $500, or more to provide our students with a values-based education in a safe environment.  By doing so, you will lift a child out of the cycle of poverty and open the door of opportunity for a young person who might otherwise abandon his or her dreams. In 2013 we helped almost 500 students; in 2014 we’d like to help many more!  Please do whatever you can to be part of the solution.  You may donate online at www.tcsfund.org/donate or make your check payable to Tri-County Scholarship Fund, Four Century Drive, Parsippany, New Jersey 07054. On behalf of Alessandra and the hundreds of other students you have helped, thank you! For the kids, Gregory Floyd, President Tri-County Scholarship Fund P.S.  You may include Tri-County in your will or your planned giving.  Please check www.tcsfund.org/donate/legacy-society for details about the Hennessy Rodimer Legacy Society. #gallery-2 { margin: auto; } #gallery-2 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-2 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-2 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Fundraise…the Old Fashioned way You’re Invited! It’s Tri-County’s fourth annual Toast for a Cause, and it keeps getting better! This year we want to shake things up, so we hope you can join us for our first ever old-fashioned, Gatsby inspired fundraiser. Definitely not a night you want to miss. You’ll enjoy an open bar full of moonshine and giggle water with good friends, old and new. There will be plenty of dancing at this shindig, so don’t forget your finest wingtips or Mary Jane’s 🙂 Enjoy a breathtaking rooftop open bar from 8:30pm – Midnight. No better way to start your summer! Fellas, come decked in your sharpest zoot suit, flat cap, fedora, or suspenders. Gals, adorn yourselves with a cloche hat, some flapper fringe, or a fancy boa. Costumes aren’t mandatory, but it’s fun to be festive. Looking forward to seeing you there! Please, be generous with your donation (Anyone who donates $ 150 or more will get a special gift the night of!). The young guys and gals of Tri-County are counting on our dollars to fund a world class education so they too can help shape the future. Address: Midtown Loft & Terrace, 267 Fifth Avenue Date: Friday, April 25, 2014 Tickets: Early birds catch a deal! Tickets start at $ 65 (March 17), & increase steadily until the night of: $ 65 (March 17- March 27) $ 75 (March 28 – April 10) $ 85 (April 11 – April 22) $ 95 (April 23 – April 24) $ 110 at the door (April 25) *********************Donate $ 150+/pp and get a special gift the night of!********************* Again, all proceeds of the night go to scholarships for inner-city children. There truly is no better gift you can give! CLICK HERE for the event webpage and BUY TICKETS. CLICK HERE for the Facebook event. Watch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download

Take a Swing for Education 2014 Tri-County Scholarship Fund 22nd Annual Golf Invitational Monday, June 2, 2014 Morris County Golf Club, Morristown NJ Calling all golfers!  Join us in continuing the tradition of supporting our students through our 22nd annual golf outing at the Morris County Golf Club on Monday, June 2nd.  While you are having fun, you are giving a student the gift of an education through your support for this event. Morris County Golf Club, which was organized in 1894, is one of the most prestigious golf clubs in New Jersey and has been home to the US Women’s Amateur and US Men’s Amateur. Your participation helps Tri-County to partner with its student beneficiaries and their families, providing need-based scholarships that help to cover the cost of a student’s tuition.  The success is measurable: last year 100% of Tri-County seniors graduated from high school and, of that group, 96% went on to college.  Consider the following: The average income of the families (family of four) receiving TCSF assistance is under $27,000. 77% of the families are single parent households. 90% of our recipients qualify for the Federal government’s free or reduced lunch program. Our recipients represent the diversity of their communities: 71% Hispanic, 13% Caucasian, 11% African-American and 5% others. Since 1981, TCSF has awarded more than 30,000 scholarships. We are looking for sponsors and auction items.  Please let us know if you can help. You can make a difference!  It’s the future!  It’s the kids!  Be a part of it! CLICK HERE to see the brochure.  Call (973) 984-9600 to register.

Tri-County Scholarship Fund will be hosting its 1st Annual Lawyers for Tri-County Awards Reception on Wednesday, April 2 at 6:30PM at the Park Avenue Club in Florham Park.  On this festive occasion we will recognize four outstanding lawyers. Event Chairman: Invites you to join us in honoring: Through this event, funds are raised to support the Freedom Scholars program which is offered to students throughout Northern and Central New Jersey.  The Freedom Scholars program is geared to high school students of financial need as well as high academic achievement and potential.  It is a four-way partnership between Tri-County, participating high schools, students and their parents or guardians.  It enables these students to choose values-centered, high performing private schools.  Tri-County awards scholarship slightly less than half the tuition cost and the participating school matches it dollar for dollar, leaving the family to pay the remainder.  This is a commitment for 4 years of high school. Please come and join us. For more information call 973-984-9600 or e-mail Minnie Simon at msimon@tcsfund.org. Click here for the invitation and registration form. Click here to donate now.

Tri-County Scholarship Fund will be hosting its 2nd Annual Women of Tri-County Luncheon on Friday, March 14 at 11:00AM at the Morris County Golf Club in Morristown.  On this festive occasion we will recognize five outstanding women who have been role models for the youth of our area through their vocations and service to others.   This year we will honor: France Delle Donne Senior Vice President – Communications & Public Relations Union Center National Bank Sally Glick Principal and Chief Growth Strategist Sobel & Co. Sister Merris Larkin, S.C. Principal Assumption School, Morristown, NJ Marjorie A. Perry President & CEO MZM Construction & Management Co., Inc. Anna Maria Tejada President, Hispanic Bar Association Partner and Director of NJ Labor and Employment Group Kaufman, Dolowich & Voluck, LLP Through this event, funds are raised to support the Freedom Scholars program which is offered to students throughout Northern and Central New Jersey.  The Freedom Scholars program is geared to high school students of financial need as well as high academic achievement and potential.  It is a four-way partnership between Tri-County, participating high schools, students and their parents or guardians.  It enables these students to choose values-centered, high performing private schools.  Tri-County awards scholarship slightly less than half the tuition cost and the participating school matches it dollar for dollar, thus leaving the family a minimal balance to pay towards the tuition cost.  This is a commitment for the 4 year tenure in high school. Please come and join us. For more information call 973-984-9600 or e-mail Minnie Simon at msimon@tcsfund.org. Click here for the invitation. Click here for the registration form.

Now a sophomore on full scholarship at Colgate University, Josh Ford excels both athletically and academically. Josh received Tri-County scholarships for several years while attending Paterson Catholic and later DePaul Catholic. When in high school Josh maintained a 3.89 grade point average and National Honor Society membership while volunteering time at his church and in the community as well as being an outstanding athlete. “Josh demonstrated his commitment to academics while also giving back,” said Benjie Wimberly, a Paterson N.J. Assemblyman, and one of Josh’s previous football coaches. “The thing that stood out the most was…Josh is not just a student-athlete, he is somebody who has high moral standards and outstanding character…somebody that the kids and the coaches respected.” John Galka, DePaul guidance counselor, has great respect for Josh’s consistent hard work and performance despite adversity. “Josh made the most of opportunities that were afforded to him and really understands what a good education could do for him,” said Galka. The day to day commitment required for high levels of achievement in both academics and sports is not easy. “My main struggle now is trying to find a balance. I have very little free time but my faith keeps me strong,” said Josh. The fact that his parents have always been great role models has kept Josh strong too. “They are both hard-working, never taking no for an answer…and helping me achieve my goals,” said Josh. Josh has plans for his career. “I want to graduate with a pre-Med focus in Biology and go on to get a Master’s in Athletic Training and Sports Medicine. I want to work with high school and college teams, and help kids in any way I can.” Benjie Wimberly, knows what makes Josh an exceptional human being. “It was so refreshing to have someone like Josh who understands his civic and community obligations…benefits from a good education…and wants to share those gifts,” said Wimberly. “I’ve coached a bunch of Division I players…including Victor Cruz now with the Giants. Josh is one of the best young men all-around that I’ve ever dealt with in 25 years of coaching and in education.”

Reggie Cameron, a Tri-County 2013 alumnus, is an accomplished scholar and athlete who started at Georgetown University last fall on full scholarship.  At 6 foot 8 inches tall, this past year he was considered by sports professionals as one of the best basketball players in New Jersey and ranked number 68 in the country by ESPN. Before accepting Georgetown’s offer, he was pursued by some of the country’s top basketball teams including Connecticut, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Seton Hall, Miami and Michigan. Add to his athletic skills his academic achievements as a Tri-County scholarship recipient, his close-knit group of family and friends, his private school preparation, and you begin to get a more complete picture of Reggie, the young man.  Rich Garibell, principal at Hudson Catholic agrees, “He’s humble and thankful for everything everyone does for him and I’m certain the opportunity’s going to present itself for him to give back in his lifetime.”  Said Reggie, “Tri-County has helped me out so much over the past four years; who knows where I’d be right now without them. I know for a fact that there are many kids who are stuck going to schools they don’t want to be at or that can’t give them the resources they need.  I’m so appreciative of the people that made this possible for me.” Nick Mariniello, Head Basketball Coach and Athletics Director at Hudson Catholic High School, got to know Reggie particularly well coaching him for 3 years.  During Nick’s father’s terminal illness, Nick relied on Reggie for consistency and team morale.  Said Mariniello, “I would equate our success last year to Reggie being a leader.  This resulted in our team going 29 and 2 and winning back to back county championships.” This past summer Reggie completed 3 college courses, maintaining a 3.0 average, to get a jump start on his academic career at Georgetown.  This commitment does not surprise Coach Mariniello.  “Reggie was a very solid student who took pride in academics. He wanted to challenge himself and made sure that he was in advanced classes and honors classes.” Adds Mariniello, “Usually a student is better off when they leave a high school, but I believe Hudson Catholic is a better place because of Reggie Cameron. I think with the way he conducts himself, being a person of very high character, he was an ambassador for the school and the school is growing a lot because of what Reggie did.” Even as a young child, Tri-County alumna Tecianna Ross knew what she wanted to do with her life. “I’ve always loved medicine and have been fascinated with healthcare,” said Tecianna. Her interest quickly grew when her grandmother became seriously ill after knee replacement surgery. “Even though I was young, I became her advocate and learned a lot of medical terminology,” reported Tecianna. Tecianna is on track to graduate soon from Montclair State University with a degree in public health and double minors in pre-med and nutrition. Her goal is to earn both a second Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Nursing.  “It’s a lot of hard work and time management,” she said, “but I want to be a good example for my little sister, who is now interested in science. And it’s really important for me to give back – that’s one of the ways I can repay my debt for what was given to me. Even though my mother, a single parent, worked hard raising the two of us by working two jobs, I couldn’t have attended the school I did without Tri-County’s help.” And give back she does. Besides attending school full time, maintaining high grades and a partial scholarship, she is involved in activities that reflect her values and commitment to helping others. She is a Community Assistant in her MSU residence hall and participates in “Active Minds”, a national organization empowering students to speak openly about mental health issues. She also serves as an Emergency Medical Technician at Elmwood Park Ambulance Corps. Melissa Cunyas, Executive Board member on the Ambulance Corps, has known and ridden with Tecianna since 2010. Calling Tecianna “hard working and dedicated”, Cunyas explained, “I think she can handle any medical situation. Last year we had a big fire and had to provide medical treatment to 125 firemen and she had just come home from college and came right down and helped. We were out there until 4:30 in the morning.” Through it all, Tecianna remains grateful and humble. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Tri-County and its supporters because without them, who knows if this all would have happened – they provided me with scholarships that allowed me to go through a school that always advocated having faith in yourself, having faith in God and believing you can be more than what the world expects of you. My school education is a constant reminder to finish up what I’ve started.”

Scholarship applications for the 2014/2015 school year are available at https://online.factsmgt.com/aid.  All applicants must apply each year by the deadline of May 5, or they will not be considered for funding.  Lastly, it is a requirement that all applicants must reside in Morris, Passaic or Sussex counties.

Dear Friends, I want to thank you for the part you played in helping us to improve the lives of some 500 children, one by one, this past year.  Your generosity to the Tri-County Scholarship Fund enabled us to significantly raise the scholarship amounts we gave to students in grades K-12 in Morris, Passaic and Sussex counties. How does your donation help our students?  Let me introduce you to Tecianna Ross.  Tecianna is a former Tri-County Scholar who is currently a senior at Montclair State University.  Tecianna captivated the minds and hearts of all who were present at our annual awards dinner three weeks ago with her moving testimony, part of which we share below: “I would like to thank all of you here for the opportunity I was given.  As the daughter of a single parent I could never have afforded the education that was given to me.  My father was not present when I was growing up so the weight of raising and supporting two children fell onto my mother’s shoulders.  She worked two jobs to support my sister and me.  I am and will always be eternally grateful for the sacrifices she made for us. I want to use the education, wisdom, and experience that I have acquired to change as many lives as I possibly can.  On campus, I serve as a Community Assistant in Sinatra residence hall.  Here, I am responsible for making sure that there is a sense of community so others know that they are not alone.  I host different events in the building, where residents can come and enjoy themselves while getting to know their neighbors.  I am a member of Active Minds, a national organization that empowers students to speak openly about mental health in order to educate others and encourage help-seeking. I also volunteer as an Emergency Medical Technician at Elmwood Park Ambulance Corp.  This enables me to donate my time and service while gaining exposure to emergency medicine.  After receiving my Bachelors in Public Health, I will attend nursing school and then pursue a Masters in Nursing with a specialization in Emergency Medicine.  Upon completion of my education, I hope to work in an urban area because that is where medical professionals are needed most.  That is how I hope to give back.” Tecianna is part of the “fruit” of your generosity.  Because she succeeded in high school, colleges opened their doors, and their scholarships, to her.  But without a Tri-County scholarship, she would never have had the four formative years at Paterson Catholic High School that prepared her so well. Speaking of colleges, in the past three years, eight of our Tri-County scholars have received full tuition scholarships to Colgate, Cornell, Villanova, Rutgers College of Engineering (2), Georgetown, UCLA and Notre Dame!  Many others who wish (or need) to remain closer to home, have received significant scholarships to Seton Hall, The College of St. Elizabeth, Montclair State, William Paterson, Fairleigh Dickinson and Caldwell College, among others. When you realize the costs of the average private school ($11,000 for high school and $5,000 for grade school), and then compute that our typical profile is a single parent of three making $27,000/year, you get an insight into how critical these scholarships really are!  Your help is a game-changer and a life-saver. The second young woman who spoke at our awards dinner is from Paterson, New Jersey.  She, too, is the daughter of a single parent and a senior at De Paul Catholic High school in Wayne, NJ.  Let me introduce you to Alessandra Veliz as she speaks about the difference that a great school makes: “De Paul taught me to try harder and push myself.  I found my passion and I challenged myself until I stopped being afraid to fail.  I find myself now dreaming of attending one of the best universities in this country and working hard towards that goal.  I’ve changed.  I know what I’ve been called to do.  I want to be a writer and a filmmaker.  I want to inspire millions and touch I live across the street from one of the main public high schools in Paterson and there are days when I run into the kids I knew in elementary school.  Some of them have chosen not to go to college because they don’t see the point.  Others are hanging out with the wrong crowds to escape trouble at home and ruining their futures before their lives have really started.  I see a lot of lost potential, and dreams that are abandoned because of a need for support that wasn’t there for them. I can stand here and tell you that my story is special, but the fact is that, thanks to your help, a lot of young men and women with similar stories of struggle have the potential to do great things now.  Your generosity not only inspires me to be different, but to MAKE A DIFFERENCE.” As we approach the season of giving, I’m asking if you would consider a tax-deductible gift of $100, $250, $500, $1,000 or more to provide our students with a values-based education in a safe environment (see enclosed flyer).  By doing so, you will lift a child out of the cycle of poverty and open the door of opportunity for young people who would otherwise abandon their dreams. In 2013 we helped almost 500 students; in 2014 we’d like to help many more!  Please do whatever you can to be part of the solution.  You may donate online by clicking here if that’s more convenient for you. Let me close with the words of Tecianna: “I look forward one day, to coming back and paying it forward for the next wave of kids who need nothing more than a hand reaching out to them to let them know that nothing can stop them from pursuing their dreams.  Thank you!” On behalf of Tecianna, Alessandra and the hundreds of other students you have helped, I thank you too! For the kids,Watch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download Gregory Floyd President Watch Fifty Shades Darker (2017) Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download

Another first in the annals of Tri-County Scholarship Fund occurred on Friday, November 8th, as the fund hosted its inaugural Women of Tri-County Awards Luncheon  at the Morris County Golf Club.  The focus of the awards luncheon is to honor the work of outstanding New Jersey women and to raise funds for the Freedom Scholars program of Tri-County Scholarship Fund. Offered to incoming high school freshmen, the Freedom Scholars program offers scholarships to young men and women of great academic promise as well as financial need.  Offered to incoming freshman and renewed every year, it provides for a virtually tuition free passage to a number of New Jersey’s great high schools.  Schools partner with the Fund to cover the majority of the students’ financial needs.  In addition to financial help, Freedom Scholars are given mentors who are among the most seasoned teachers and staff at the respective schools, tutoring as needed, SAT prep and college essay prep. For the inaugural luncheon, five women were chosen to be the honorees.  They are Barbara Kaufmann, Executive Vice-President of the Newark Regional Business Partnership; Katherin Nukk-Freeman,Esq., co-founder of the management side employment law firm of Nukk-Freeman and Cerra in Chatham Township; Lelia Pappas, Principal of Blessed Sacrament School in Paterson; Meg Paradise, award winning Talent Management and Leadership Strategist; and Heather Suarez, Esq., Partner at Walder, Hayden and Brogan, PA in Roseland.  Linda Bowden, regional president of PNC Bank, served as the Master of Ceremonies. A highlight of the luncheon was the presentation by Chrystal Donayre, a Freedom Scholar and sophomore at Mary Help of Christians Academy in North Haledon.  After commenting on the wonderful opportunities offered to her at this school, she went on to say:  “Entering my freshman year, I was chosen as a Freedom Scholar.  Without my Freedom Scholarship, I would not have been able to attend Mary Help.  As the daughter of a single mother of two, I live with my mother and youngest brother in Paterson, NJ.  My mother is from Lima, Peru where she was born and raised until the age of 19 when she came to the U.S.  My parents divorced when I was about 4, and since then my father is not around much.  I do not get to speak to nor see him as regularly as a father and daughter should.  Therefore I consider my mother both a mother and father to me.  I love my mother and my brother unconditionally which is why I strive my best to make them proud.  Being at Mary Help makes me feel as though a wide door to a bright future has been opened to me!” It was not difficult, after Chrystal spoke, for the men and women in attendance to move to  ensure that other talented young men and women, like Chrystal, would have the opportunity to thrive in schools that offer a values-based curriculum, a sense of community and a culture of high performance.  To that end, $18,000.00 was raised to put the Freedom Scholars program on secure financial footing.  And that is only the beginning!  More information about the Freedom Scholars Program, may be accessed at http://www.tcsfund.org/new-jersey-scholarship-awards/freedom-scholars-program/. #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */