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Our children are the future. For more than 26 years, Tri-County Scholarship Fund has provided educational assistance to economically disadvantaged children. Hundreds of students each year depend on Tri-County for scholarships. On Monday, June 1, 2009, Tri-County Scholarship Fund held its 17th Annual Golf Outing and Ladies Spa Day at the Morris County Golf Club (MCGC) in Convent Station, NJ. In addition to golf, there was a Ladies Spa Day. The day will included an expansive lunch and delicious dinner in the elegant surroundings of MCGC, the fifth oldest golf club in the nation. There was also a Silent Auction filled with unique items and opportunities, a 50/50 and prizes on and off the course.

More Than Money: Tri-County recipients attend a Networking for Success Program at Bank of America As part of its mission, Tri-County believes strongly in exposing students of all ages to leadership, cultural and business opportunities that economics might otherwise deny them. In March of 2008, 30 Tri-County juniors and seniors from three different high schools spent the morning as guests of Tri-County Trustee and Bank of America Market Executive Pete Dontas and his team. Beginning with breakfast and ending with lunch, the students were exposed to presentations on networking skills, dressing for success, money management, interviewing protocols, resume writing, email and cell phone etiquette. They were also presented with an introduction to the world of banking, a whole range of employees from Pete and one of his Senior VPs to student interns currently in college or just graduated, led the session. Not only were the students the recipients of great information, they were active participants as they broke down into four teams, each team designed a live presentation of an interview and compete for a grand prize of an iPOD. This interactivity between staff and students was the highlight of the morning. As they left, the students were presented with a goodie bag with a daily planner, a student financial handbook, pens and notebooks, courtesy of Bank of America. Said one trustee who was present: “These kids are going to be way ahead of the game. I went to Harvard and I never got anything like this!”

Aware that an education is much more than sitting in class, Tri-County Scholarship Fund has been moving aggressively in the past year to increase the number of and range of “outside the classroom” learning opportunities it offers to its scholarship recipients. In October of ’07, one TCSF trustee opened up his beautiful farm in Tewksbury, NJ to three hundred TCSF grade school students. There, the children were treated to an entire day of pony rides, pumpkin-picking, clowns, inflatable rides, face-painting and, of course, lots of food! October also saw the TCSF high school students sharing the annual awards dinner with Tyco CEO Ed Breen, the trustees, their guests and corporate donors. Virtually all the tables in the room were populated by Tri-County high school award recipients, enjoying the evening and sharing their dreams and plans with fellow attendees. Needless to say, we received more comments about the students than about any other part of the evening! In December, several TCSF trustees joined students and teachers at Paterson Catholic to serve a holiday dinner to almost 500 senior citizens from Paterson, Clifton and Passaic. It is one of the school’s finest and most honored traditions, replete with the award-winning football team serving as the wheelchair brigade! March of ’08 saw thirty juniors and seniors at the Bank of America headquarters in Cranford for a day on networking, writing resumes, interview skills, time management, dressing for success, business etiquette, teamwork and banking career paths. Later in March the graduating TCSF seniors joined the trustees at a dinner celebrating the anticipated conclusion of their high school careers. It was an opportunity for the students and trustees to talk together about the future, college plans, vocational choices and also to pause and experience the satisfaction of a job well done. April will see almost 2,000 students at the Community Theatre of New Jersey for Productions of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (high school) and Beethoven’s Wig (grade school), a highly entertaining interactive introduction to world of classical music. Plans are also underway for the TCSF high school girls to be guests of the female partners of the J.H. Cohn accounting firm for a day on “Women Mentoring Women” which will introduce them to female executives and the world of accounting. In addition, the President of Wells Fargo Bank (North East Region) and her team are putting together a presentation on The World of Money for Fall of 2008 . In these and many other events on the horizon, Tri-County’s goal is to enable both grade school and high school students to experience the wide world of possibilities that an education opens up to them.

Tri-County Seniors Celebrate Their Achievements at Trustees Annual Meeting On March 10, 2008 the trustees of the Tri-County Scholarship Fund held their annual meeting at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey. But this annual meeting was different. In addition to the traditional business portion of the meeting, all the graduating seniors of the seven high schools supported by Tri-County were invited to join the trustees at a congratulatory dinner in their honor. Amid the splendor of the renovated mansion, renamed in honor of Tri-County founder Ed Hennessy, students, trustees and guests had the opportunity to share a meal and learn more about each other. In addition, the graduating seniors had the chance to share their hopes and dreams for their own futures. Since it was near St. Patrick’s Day, guests were treated to the surprise visit of members of the Davis Academy of Irish Dance who put on a magical performance reminiscent of scenes from the famous Irish production Riverdance. Two of the graduating class, Ms. Loren Salas and Mr. Edwin Maldonado, addressed the trustees and guests on behalf of their classmates. Edwin is the first person in his family to go to college. As they left, there was a gift waiting for each graduate: an “off to college” goodie bag containing sheets, a calculator, books, pens, staplers, a gift card to Staples, notebooks, a key chain, donated by the trustees. The festive night ended but the inspiration carries on and plans are underway to track this very special class of graduates as they make their mark in the world. Said the spouse of one trustee: “This is the best Tri-County event I have ever been to!”

TCSF DINNER RAISES NEARLY $800,000 TO UNDERWRITE SCHOLARSHIPS AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS FOR INNER-CITY CHILDREN Towering above the microphone at Tri-County Scholarship Fund’s Annual Awards Dinner on October 25 was Terrell Williams, a Junior at Paterson Catholic High School and aspiring Division 1 basketball player. Williams served as one of the night’s student speakers and praised TCSF for giving him the opportunity through educational scholarships to overcome life’s hardships and attend a quality school. Deidra Hansford, a 7th grader from St. Anthony School, shared her dream of becoming a business owner. She told the audience, “When you donate to Tri-County, your money is giving kids a chance to fulfill their dreams and be successful. Remember, you do make a difference!” The event, held in Whippany at the Hanover Marriot, celebrated the achievements of TCSF recipients while raising nearly $800,000 for scholarship and leadership programs. President Donna Meade-MacMillan remarked, that “in addition to raising scholarship funds, the dinner gave us a chance to honor friends of Tri-County who make a real difference in the lives of TCSF students and families.” Among the business leaders helping to organize the dinner was Douglas Kennedy, President of NJ North Fork Bank, who was excited to be part of the effort to raise funds for student scholarships. “This year we are celebrating 23 years of successfully impacting children through quality value-centered education,” said Kennedy, reminding the audience that, “everything we’re doing tonight benefits these kids.” TCSF, which will award over 915 children $830,000 to attend private schools this year, honored Robert J. McCann, Executive Vice President of Merrill Lynch and New York Knick forward Tim Thomas at the dinner. Addressing the crowd, McCann spoke of the need to continue supporting TCSF and its work of providing disadvantaged children with the chance of a better life. With over 500 people in attendance, McCann’s words resonated as guests gave enthusiastic standing ovations to the students, the staff and the work of TCSF. TCSF is fighting poverty through education in Passaic, Morris, and Sussex Counties, affording the most economically disadvantaged students the chance to succeed and to become future business and community leaders.

TCSF Scholarship Recipients Spend a Day at the Farm Tri-County’s Farm Day 2004 was held October 28th at Serenity Hills Farm in Hunterdon County, through the generosity of a TCSF Trustee. As part of TCSF’s new leadership development program, Farm Day gave over 150 students from elementary schools in Paterson, Clifton, and Passaic City the chance to experience nature first-hand through hayrides, pumpkin picking and other fall activities. To their delight the children also learned how to groom and ride ponies, and then ended the day by happily roasting marshmallows over an open fire. Farm Day helped TCSF recipients escape city life and take part in a hands-on learning experience outside of the classroom. The event also allowed the Board Members in attendance to meet and interact with some of the children who are benefiting from Tri-County’s scholarships. Symbolic of TCSF’s commitment to educational improvement, the event brought Trustees and recipients together to enjoy the highlights of New Jersey’s autumn season. TCSF is fighting poverty through education in Passaic, Morris, and Sussex Counties, affording the most economically disadvantaged students the chance to succeed and to become future business and community leaders.