Courage and Accomplishment!

Zachary was born 3.5 months early, was 12 inches long, and weighed 1.6 pounds. As you can imagine, we were sick with worry. My wife quit her job and spent the next six months “living” at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. I worked my day-job and each night commuted 40 miles to Philadelphia to stay in the NICU until 11:00 PM and then would travel home again.

	It was a miracle that Zachary lived through those first months. After which he was home- quarantined for two years. As he began to grow, it was apparent that he thrived in situations where he received personalized attention and did not thrive in situations where personalized attention was less available. The decision was difficult, yet "Mom" stepped off her career path to nurture her son. As Kindergarten drew near, we began to explore schools. To our dismay, we found private schools are unaffordable without help. And, while our local public school offered special programs, it was less able to meet our son's needs.
As eternal optimists, we turned to foundations, books, and the Internet for scholarships and other funding. Much to our surprise, scholarship dollars were not readily available for children under college age. At this point we recognized that we would need to spend every dollar we could muster on the appropriate grammar and secondary schools to give Zachary the chance to be adequately prepared for college. And it is making all the difference in the world. Zach is growing into an exceptionally smart child and though he is still only in grammar school, he is showing the potential for attending a top U.S. college.
	As forward thinking parents, we know that by saving just a few pennies a day, paying for college might be possible. And, if we could enlist friends and family to contribute just a few pennies a day, that would be even better. Yet, we do not want handouts, nor do we want anyone to feel a financial burden. Thus, was born "Zachary's Promise" and "Pennies for Scholars." From 2001 to 2008, over $1,100 was collected just a few pennies at a time through grocery and credit card rewards based upon everyday purchases. And it was all made possible by family and friends like you. Thank you. Yet, from many reports, by the time Zachary reaches college age, it is expected that small, liberal arts colleges (where the ratio of teachers to students is high) may cost over $50,000 per year (times four years). This is the reason we need your help. Fortunately, it won't cost you anything more than registering your cards. Please help us reach our goal. Over the next ten to twelve years, if we can enlist enough "Friends and Family" sponsors we are certain to achieve this very important goal! Please join us, today. Thank you. To find out more about prematurely born children and available support services, click here.