Fundraising Continues for Scholarships for Lower Manhattan Families
Economically Impacted by 9/11, Natalie Cole to Sing at November 20 Benefit
MINNEAPOLIS and NEW YORK, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Families of Freedom 2:
Building Futures Though Education (Families of Freedom 2) has received a
$2 million donation from the MLB-MLBPA Disaster Relief Fund. Families of
Freedom 2 was co-founded by Citizens' Scholarship Foundation of America(SM)
(CSFA), the nation's largest private sector scholarship and educational
support organization, and AXA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AXA
Financial, Inc., a leading financial services company, to provide scholarships
for families in Lower Manhattan who suffered loss of income as a result of the
9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
The joint contribution from Major League Baseball and the Major League
Baseball Players Association marks their continued support of families
affected by 9/11 through CSFA's scholarship programs. Their initial
$8 million gift also enabled CSFA to surpass its goal of raising $100 million
in scholarship support for 9/11 victims' dependents through the Families of
Freedom Scholarship Fund(R).
AXA also is serving as Title Sponsor of the Families of Freedom 2
fundraiser to be held on Wednesday, November 20 at City Center in New York
City. The star-studded gala will feature Natalie Cole, Paul Shaffer, Felicia
Collins and the CBS Orchestra, Phoebe Snow, comedians Robert Klein and Jim
Gaffigan, Carol Kane, Paula Cole, Peter Criss, The Beu Sisters, Vincent
Pastore, cast members of "The Sopranos," "Sex and the City," "Law and Order,"
"Oz," and others.
The Families of Freedom 2 fundraiser will also celebrate the extraordinary
people of New York and their response to 9/11. Sophie Saccio, creative and
compassionate beyond her age of six, will be honored for her "Bead Sticks,"
which she fashioned from beads and Q-Tips, sold in her Manhattan neighborhood
and donated the money to the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund. Also being
honored is Ada Rosario Dolch, principal at the High School for Leadership &
Public Service, located at what is now better known as Ground Zero. Dolch
organized a safe evacuation of students and continues her dedication to her
community's emotional recovery. Meyer Feig, the founder of the World Trade
Center Tenants Association, will be honored for his unifying voice advocating
for businesses displaced after 9/11. Feig is also CEO of Intera Corporation,
formerly housed on the 18th floor of the World Trade Center.
Doors open at 7:00 p.m., with a silent auction and raffle. Tickets range
from $75 to $350 with 10% discounts for groups of 10 or more. For tickets,
visit http://www.citycenter.org . In New York City, call 212-581-1212. Outside New
York City, call 1-877-581-1212. For event sponsorships, table purchases or
in-kind donations, contact familiesoffreedom2@csfa.org or 212-329-9184.
Scholarship assistance will be directed to persons who suffered loss of
income as the direct result of the destruction or impairment of a business
located in Lower Manhattan south of Houston Street as a result of the attacks
on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
Those eligible to apply for Families of Freedom 2 scholarships are:
-- Business owners or employees in who lost their jobs
-- Spouses of business owners or employees who lost their jobs
-- Dependent children of business owners or employees; children must be
high school seniors or older at the time of application
Students may apply for Families of Freedom 2 scholarships after
November 20, 2002. Eligible students are encouraged to visit
http://www.families911.org or email families911@csfa.org or call toll-free
1-866-243-4644. Scholarships will be awarded beginning in January 2003.
Families of Freedom 2 scholarships may be applied to any course of study
at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, vocational-technical
school, trade school, or skill-training program in the United States.
Students may receive assistance a maximum of four years or until a bachelor's
degree is earned, whichever occurs first, provided funding is available.
Individual scholarship amounts will be based on financial need of the
applicants and the funds available. Scholarships will be awarded on a
first-come, first-served basis to qualified applicants as funds are available.
For more information, visit http://www.familiesoffreedom2.org
Additional sponsors of the Families of Freedom 2 fundraising event include
Citigroup Foundation, Cozen & Connor Law Firm, Dependable Printing, Equity
Marketing, New York Dollars for Scholars, PepsiCo., Inc., Stolichnaya, Toys
"R" Us Children's Fund, and Unilever.
Donate on-line at http://www.familiesoffreedom2.org or mail your check made
payable to Citizens' Scholarship Foundation of America, designating the
Families of Freedom 2 Scholarship Fund, to CSFA, 1505 Riverview Road, P.O. Box
297, St. Peter, MN, 56082.
About AXA Foundation
The AXA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of AXA Financial, Inc., one of
the world's premier financial services organizations and a member of the
global AXA group, a leader in financial protection and wealth management. The
AXA Foundation directs the company's philanthropic and volunteer activities to
improve the quality of life in communities across the country where AXA has a
presence. Since it was established in 1987, the AXA Foundation has awarded
grants totaling more than $13 million in support of higher education. Through
AXA Achievement, the AXA Foundation, in partnership with CSFA, will support
several new national scholarship programs, expand CSFA's volunteer-driven
Dollars for Scholars(R) scholarship fundraising program to more communities
throughout the nation, and sponsor National Scholarship Month launched by CSFA
in 1998 and celebrated every May. For further information about the AXA
Foundation partnership with CSFA and any aspects of the program, please call
1-800-537-4180, or visit http://www.axaonline.com/axafoundation . For information
and application to the AXA Achievement Scholarship Program, visit
http://www.axa-achievement.com .
About MLB-MLBPA Disaster Relief Fund
In response to the September 11 attacks, Major League Baseball and the
Major League Baseball Players Association each contributed $5 million to the
MLB-MLBPA Disaster Relief Fund. In addition to the initial $10 million
pledge, the MLB-MLBPA Disaster Relief Fund received more than $750,000 in
contributions from employees of Major League Baseball and the Major League
Baseball Players Association as well as fans and business partners.
Distributions from the fund are made by a joint committee of Commissioner's
Office and Players Association representatives.
About Citizens' Scholarship Foundation of America
CSFA is the nation's largest private sector scholarship and educational
support organization. It carries out its mission of expanding access to
educational opportunities and encouraging academic achievement through its
Dollars for Scholars(R), Scholarship Management Services(TM), and
ScholarShop(R) programs. Headquartered in Minneapolis and St. Peter, MN, CSFA
has distributed over $911.5 million to nearly 850,000 students through its
scholarship and other support programs since its founding in 1958. For the
fifth year in a row, SmartMoney, the Wall Street Journal's magazine of
personal finance, has ranked CSFA as one of the 17 most efficient nonprofits
in the country. Worth Magazine has also named CSFA as one of America's 100
best charities for 2001/2002. In partnership with Indianapolis-based Lumina
Foundation for Education, CSFA founded and raised more than $100 million for
the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund(R), which was created to provide
educational assistance for postsecondary study to the financially needy
dependents of the September 11th terrorist attack victims. For more
information, visit http://www.csfa.org .
SOURCE Citizens' Scholarship Foundation of America
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Related links:
http://www.csfa.org
CONTACT:
Mark Malmberg, +1-952-830-7317, or Nancy
Moon, +1-212-989-7530, both for Citizens' Scholarship Foundation
of America
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