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Welcome
A Message from the Executive Director:
I am honored to report that we broke through our original 10 Year Anniversary fundraising campaign goal of $10,000 on the morning on September 11th, 2011, and as of 9/14 we have raised just over $15,000! Our campaign continues until the end of September - if you have not already contributed, help us hit the big $20,000 benchmark and please donate now! No donation is too small and they really add up. We'll post some photos from our visit to the National 9/11 Memorial on this website soon. Thank you to all of our supporters.
-Pete
The Phil Guza Memorial Charitable Trust was established on March 30, 2010 in honor of Philip T. Guza, who died in the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001. This public non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt trust is comprised of the Phil Guza Memorial Scholarship, which makes annual disbursements to deserving students moving on to college. In 2012 the Scholarship is currently expecting to award one $1,000 grant to a graduating high school senior who intends to pursue a bachelor’s degree in math (Phil’s major) or science. Preference will be given to students graduating from Phil’s alma mater, Abraham Lincoln High School, located in the city of Philadelphia. As the Trust grows, the grant sum will be increased and may be able to afford multiple recipients each year, and additional college scholarships may be offered.
Ten Year Anniversary Media Coverage:
The Guza Family was featured in the cover story of the Boston Globe newspaper on Sunday September 4, 2011, "Four Families, Four Stories of Loss, Love, and Resilience." An online version of the article can be found here:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/09/04/ten_years_of_grief_and_coming_to_terms/
Photos from the above Boston Globe feature can be found here:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/specials/sept_11_anniversary/gallery/septermbre_11_four_families_four_stories/
The Phil Guza Memorial Scholarship was featured on the North Andover Patch website on September 6, 2011, "9/11 Victim's Son Launches Scholarship," which can be found here:
http://northandover.patch.com/articles/911-victims-son-launches-scholarship
Peter Guza was interviewed for the following article on The Stir website, posted on September 7, 2011, "Losing My Dad on 9/11 Made Me the Dad I Am Today," located here:
http://thestir.cafemom.com/teen/125571/losing_my_dad_on_911
Peter Guza published a short article through the Yahoo! Contributor Network, "Honoring a Proud Father and Mathematician: The Phil Guza Memorial Scholarship," which can be found here:
http://news.yahoo.com/honoring-proud-father-mathematician-phil-guza-memorial-scholarship-190900714.html
A vignette on Phil Guza was released via The Asbury Park Press on September 7, 2011, "9/11 Changed Forever: Philip T Guza," which can be found here:
http://www.nyjnews.com/911victims/view.php?id=969
Our last feature of media coverage, in the North Andover Citizen (online via wickedlocal.com), will be posted as the article becomes available so please check back often.
For our 10 Year Anniversary fundraising campaign, we will be giving away a beautiful custom made quilt, designed and sewn by Marcia Guza. For every $10 donation between January 1 and Sepember 30, 2011, the donor will receive one entry into the raffle (maximum of 20 entries per person).
I am honored to report that we broke through our original 10 Year Anniversary fundraising campaign goal of $10,000 on the morning on September 11th, 2011, and as of 9/14 we have raised just over $15,000! Our campaign continues until the end of September - if you have not already contributed, help us hit the big $20,000 benchmark and please donate now! No donation is too small and they really add up. We'll post some photos from our visit to the National 9/11 Memorial on this website soon. Thank you to all of our supporters.
-Pete
The Phil Guza Memorial Charitable Trust was established on March 30, 2010 in honor of Philip T. Guza, who died in the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001. This public non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt trust is comprised of the Phil Guza Memorial Scholarship, which makes annual disbursements to deserving students moving on to college. In 2012 the Scholarship is currently expecting to award one $1,000 grant to a graduating high school senior who intends to pursue a bachelor’s degree in math (Phil’s major) or science. Preference will be given to students graduating from Phil’s alma mater, Abraham Lincoln High School, located in the city of Philadelphia. As the Trust grows, the grant sum will be increased and may be able to afford multiple recipients each year, and additional college scholarships may be offered.
Ten Year Anniversary Media Coverage:
The Guza Family was featured in the cover story of the Boston Globe newspaper on Sunday September 4, 2011, "Four Families, Four Stories of Loss, Love, and Resilience." An online version of the article can be found here:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/09/04/ten_years_of_grief_and_coming_to_terms/
Photos from the above Boston Globe feature can be found here:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/specials/sept_11_anniversary/gallery/septermbre_11_four_families_four_stories/
The Phil Guza Memorial Scholarship was featured on the North Andover Patch website on September 6, 2011, "9/11 Victim's Son Launches Scholarship," which can be found here:
http://northandover.patch.com/articles/911-victims-son-launches-scholarship
Peter Guza was interviewed for the following article on The Stir website, posted on September 7, 2011, "Losing My Dad on 9/11 Made Me the Dad I Am Today," located here:
http://thestir.cafemom.com/teen/125571/losing_my_dad_on_911
Peter Guza published a short article through the Yahoo! Contributor Network, "Honoring a Proud Father and Mathematician: The Phil Guza Memorial Scholarship," which can be found here:
http://news.yahoo.com/honoring-proud-father-mathematician-phil-guza-memorial-scholarship-190900714.html
A vignette on Phil Guza was released via The Asbury Park Press on September 7, 2011, "9/11 Changed Forever: Philip T Guza," which can be found here:
http://www.nyjnews.com/911victims/view.php?id=969
Our last feature of media coverage, in the North Andover Citizen (online via wickedlocal.com), will be posted as the article becomes available so please check back often.
For our 10 Year Anniversary fundraising campaign, we will be giving away a beautiful custom made quilt, designed and sewn by Marcia Guza. For every $10 donation between January 1 and Sepember 30, 2011, the donor will receive one entry into the raffle (maximum of 20 entries per person).
The quilt is approximately 61" x 77". Although technically considered a lap quilt, it is generously sized, ideal to throw on the back of a sofa & and cuddle under while napping, reading, or watching tv. The fabrics are 100% cotton. The quilt is pictured above, and the shot below is a close-up of the flag applique on the front corner, folded over the quilt backing. The colors are in the Americana theme -- reds, navys, creams; the back of the quilt is a cream color print.
Donations can be made online or by mail.
Congratulations to Tori Bahe and Matthew Kurtas for becoming the 2011 Phil Guza Memorial Scholarship grant recipients! This year we received 5 times as many applications as 2010, littered with well qualified students, and elected to expand the offering to include two scholarships. Thank you to all those who took the time to apply.
Tori Bahe of Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix
Tori Bahe of Gilbert, Arizona was granted a $1,000 Phil Guza Memorial Scholarship. She is a graduate of Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix and will begin her higher education at Stanford this fall studying Environmental Engineering. From a large family of fifty, Tori strives "to be the person who stands out and influences [her] family to not give up and to pursue a good education." Her passion for environmental studies was exemplified by passing the Advanced Placement Environmental Science exam without a class available to prepare her. Furthermore, Tori is a cross country runner, clarinet player for the Concert & Wind Ensemble Band, Language Honor Society member, and volunteer with the Intel Native American Network which promotes math and science skills to elementary students. We wish Tori the best of luck and we'll keep an eye out for for her on the track - Go Cardinals!
Matthew Kurtas with RFH High School Principal Tracy Handerhan
Matthew Kurtas, co-valedictorian of Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, New Jersey, received a $500 Phil Guza Memorial Scholarship award due to his outstanding achievements both in and out of the classroom. Matt starts his journey to a career in neurological surgery and medicine at Cornell this fall after a life change his senior year as a stroke and cerebral AVM survivor, which required brain surgery in November followed by a long and arduous recovery that still continues eight months later. In addition to being a varsity wrestler, marksman, and track athlete, Matt has extensive experience in theatre and volunteer work. Without a doubt, we'll hear more about Matthew as he works to publish his autobiography and continues to leave his mark everywhere he goes.
2010 Recipient:
Mary Katherine Velcamp of Rumson, New Jersey was the 2010 Phil Guza Memorial Scholarship $1,000 grant recipient. Kate proved to be an exceptional student and she began her freshman year at Loyola University in Maryland in fall 2010, where she's pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a focus in pre-med. Down the road Kate aspires to become an orthopedic surgeon.
Milestones to date:
2010 Recipient:
Mary Katherine Velcamp of Rumson, New Jersey was the 2010 Phil Guza Memorial Scholarship $1,000 grant recipient. Kate proved to be an exceptional student and she began her freshman year at Loyola University in Maryland in fall 2010, where she's pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a focus in pre-med. Down the road Kate aspires to become an orthopedic surgeon.
Milestones to date:
- June 30, 2011: Second and third scholarship awarded (for $1,000 and $500)
- December 31, 2010: Closing of first fiscal year; over $9,000 raised by donations
- October 5, 2010: Tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status approved by IRS
- September 25, 2010: First annual fundraising event held, Bowling for Mathematics
- August 22, 2010: First scholarship awarded (for $1,000)
- July 4, 2010: $735 raised from Red Sox ticket promotion
- April 16, 2010: Website goes public
- April 15, 2010: Form 1023 submitted to the IRS for tax-exempt status
- April 3, 2010: Bank account opened with $911.01 donation
- April 1, 2010: EIN (tax ID) number receieved
- March 30, 2010: Trust doument signed
Links:
Monmouth County 9/11 Memorial
New Jersey 9/11 Memorial
National 9/11 Memorial
Massachusetts 9/11 Fund
Aon Memorial Edcuation Fund
Aon's Legacy.com Website
NY Times Article Phil Guza: Free-Form Vacations
Phil's Guest Book on Legacy.com
Abraham Lincoln High School
Abraham Lincoln High School Alumni Association
