As Parkland residents, we believe strongly in SJBMF's mission and vision. There is an amazing value in providing these camperships for these children. Their passion for helping inspires us.
Our experience with the Scott J Beigel Memorial Fund has been extraordinary. Their deep commitment to serving children and changing the world by giving children touched by gun violence a summer camp experience is evident in everything they do. They work tirelessly to raise the funds needed to give children a life-changing camp experience and they seek to support more and more children in this way each year. They vet the camps they fund very carefully and hold those camps to very high standards. Their vetting includes annual in-person visits and in-depth interviews with campers benefitting from their funding and staff working at the programs they fund. When they visit, their passion for children and for the work they are supporting is obvious. They are constantly thinking about how to do more and they never rest before moving on to the next fundraiser or the next opportunity to provide additional support to the campers they serve. In addition to sending children affected by gun violence to camp, they seek to support these children and their families in additional ways such as sending them to professional baseball games along with their camp counselors to enjoy fellowship and respite from their challenging circumstances, providing computers to the camps with which they work in order to allow children access to learn through technology, and providing fully stocked back-to-school backpacks for campers in need. The passion of people involved in this fund is inspiring and contagious. It is a privilege to work with this organization.
I've participated in a Run 4 Beigel and have seen firsthand how much effort is clearly put into this organization, and making a difference for kids in need.
Being proactive is the best way and Linda and Mike are always thinking of ways to treat the kids they serve, which hopefully will inspire those kids throughout their life.
They know how to make their fundraisers fun!
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Scott would be so proud of the work this fund is doing in his name. He loved working with children both as a teacher and as a summer camp counselor. This fund is changing the lives of children who have been touched by gun violence by giving them the opportunity to escape the violence and enjoy a positive environment for a worry-free summer of fun, which, in a perfect world, is how it should be.
The Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund works tirelessly to send children impacted by gun violence to summer sleep-away camp. The experience the children have at camp is life changing. It truly takes them out of their comfort zone and exposes them to an entire new world. The confidence the campers can build from experiencing sleep-away camp stays with them as they continue to navigate life, including their education and subsequent career.
I have had the pleasure of seeing first hand the impact that the SJBMF has on children as they prepare for a summer camp experience that otherwise not been available to them. Linda and everyone at the fund are child centered and dedicated to their mission and transparent with all matters.
I first met Linda Beigel Schulman when I ran for office in her district and saw her advocacy for sensible gun legislation after her son was murdered saving his students at Parkland. We have gotten to know one another well over the years. I watched as she turned her rage and sorrow towards keeping her son's legacy alive, by raising funds to send young people touched by gun violence to summer camp (Scott was an avid camper and the counselor). I have watched the organization grow and their dedication grow as well. Linda is a force of nature! I have been proud to be one of their many sponsors and will continue to do so for as long as I am able.
The SJBMF is an incredible non-profit that drives real impact in the community. I have met some of the children whose lives have been changed by the SJBMF donations that have allowed them to get out of the city and into camps for the summer where they learn life skills that allow them to see beyond the borders of their neighborhoods and know that they have options and opportunities in this world. This is not about kids having fun at camp for the summer, it's about allowing them to decompress and think about the world differently. I am proud to have been a small part of this transformative organization.
Linda, Mike, and the team at the Scott J Beigel Memorial Fund make an incredible impact by bringing the magic of overnight summer camp to hundreds of youth who would not otherwise have access to it. Then, they go above and beyond by making valuable introductions to new partners in order to bring additional resources and experiences to youth. Their hearts are deeply embedded in this mission and it is our honor to work alongside them.
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The generosity of Linda, Mike and the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund knows no bounds. They are deeply committed to helping youth thrive in summer camp environments. Scott’s love for kids as a teacher, coach and camp professional, lives on through the Fund’s mission. We are very fortunate to call them friends and partners.
I am the Executive Director for Book Fairies. It has been our absolute pleasure to work with the Scott J Biegel team to bring books to children going to camp who have been affected by violence. We had a great experience working together, the passion and commitment to making a difference was palpable. What a great mission and organization.
The Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund, Inc is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit founded in 2018 by Linda Beigel Schulman, Scott's mom. The fund was established days after the shooting tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018. Scott J. Beigel's life was tragically lost after he saved the lives of 31 of his students.
The mission and purpose of the fund is to send at-risk, underserved children touched by gun violence to summer sleep-away camp. By sending these children to summer sleep-away camp, we keep them away from guns, gangs and violence, giving them hope. We want these children to learn positive values like honesty, trust, self-reliance, empathy and community.
In 2022, the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund gave out grants to six summer sleep-away camps in three states (NY, MASS and NJ) totaling $283,600.00 up from $217,600.00 and 165 camperships in 2021.
In only 4 years, the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund, including virtual camperships during the pandemic, given grants so that 831 at-risk, underserved children touched by gun violence to experience the excited of going to summer sleep-away camp.