Foundations carry out legacies of 9/11 victims
Leslie Blair, whose sister Susan Blair died on 9/11, likes to think that some good can come out of the grief she still feels for her gregarious sister.
“I and my family have a responsibility to help the world receive what Sue has started, to amplify the ripples of her pebble,” she said Saturday on the 20th anniversary of the attacks, recalling the Dalai Lama’s adage about one small act creating broad-reaching effects beyond the initial impact.
Like many Massachusetts 9/11 families, the Blairs started a fund in honor of their loved one. Here’s a list of some of these foundations:
The Susan L. Blair Memorial Scholarship: In memory of Susan Blair, who had begun coursework at Colby-Sawyer College in education and child development, this scholarship is given annually to a female Colby-Sawyer student in one of these programs.
The Mark Bavis Leadership Foundation: Mark Bavis’ family and friends created the foundation to award grants from $1,000 to $5,000 for school tuition, summer programs and other extracurricular activities. The foundation has raised over $400,000, according to its website.
The Jeffrey Coombs Memorial Foundation: The foundation was established to assist Abington students and families during illnesses or deaths in the family. Coombs raised his three children in Abington before he died. Since the foundation was formed in November 2001, it has raised over $1 million through the Annual Jeff Coombs Memorial Road Race, Walk and Family Day, as well as other fundraisers. Boston Marathon runners raise an additional $10,000 each year for the foundation.
The Betty Ann Ong Foundation: Betty Ong of Andover was a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, the first plane to strike the World Trade Center.
She stayed on the phone for 25 minutes while the plane was in the air, relaying information to the ground crew about the hijackings. Ong’s foundation helps educate children about healthy habits and provides opportunities for them to attend summer camp “to experience the great outdoors so that they can grow to become healthy, strong and productive individuals,” according to the foundation’s website.
Find out more about 9/11 memorial foundations at massfund.org.