Press Release – (Bergen County, New Jersey; August 28, 2018) — The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s (NNJCF) Darren Drake Memorial Fund announces New Milford High School graduate Christian Pavone was named the fund’s first recipient of a $2,000 scholarship award. This NNJCF charitable, donor advised fund memorializes New Milford High School graduate Darren Drake, who died in a terrorist attack in New York City on October 31, 2017.
The scholarship award is given to qualified students seeking to pursue a trade or technical career. Pavone was selected for good grades attained in high school and his community involvement volunteering as a firefighter with the New Milford Fire Department, while working part-time at DeMauro Towing. He plans to attend Lincoln Tech and pursue a career as an air conditioning technician.
The legacy of terrorist victim Darren Drake continues with the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s Darren Drake Memorial Fund. Drake, who served on the New Milford Board of Education, identified the need to meet a shortage of skilled labor in the trade and technical professions by preparing high school students interested in pursuing vocational careers. Career opportunities are available in the trade and technical professions.
Christian Pavone, the first recipient of the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s Darren Drake Memorial Fund scholarship award, meets Barbara and Jimmy Drake, the parents of the fund’s namesake.
Continue Darren Drake’s Legacy
Through the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s Darren Drake Memorial Fund, a scholarship will be awarded annually to a graduating senior of New Milford High School to pursue training in the trade or technical professions. The public can continue Darren Drake’s commitment to education and his legacy with a donation in his memory. In remembrance of Drake, and as a lasting tribute to his lifelong love of and commitment to education, Moody’s Foundation provided the principal gift to establish the fund, which will be administered by his parents.
Donations are tax-deductible, as permitted by law, and may be made online at https://www.nnjcf.org/cause-posts/the-darren-drake-memorial-fund-memorializes-darren-scott-drake/. Contributions may also be sent by check made out to ‘The Northern N.J. Community Foundation’ with ‘Darren Drake Memorial Fund’ entered in the memo line. Send checks to the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, 1 University Plaza, Suite 128, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601.
For further information about the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, contact nnjcf@nnjcf.org or call 201-568-5608.
About NNJCF
Founded in 1998, the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF), a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization based in Hackensack, New Jersey, focuses primarily on civic engagement, education, public health, the environment, philanthropy, and the arts. The NNJCF works with local governments, school districts, businesses, non-profit organizations, and citizen groups in Northern New Jersey to improve community life. The Foundation’s partners identify and resolve regional problems and opportunities by talking and learning from each other and sharing ideas, best practices, services, and resources.
For more information, visit www.nnjcf.org, send an email to nnjcf@nnjcf.org, or call (201) 568-5608. Follow the NNJCF on Facebook at Northern NJ Community Foundation/ArtsBergen and Twitter @NNJCF.
