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November 18, 2001 Dear Friends of Sara’s
Wish Foundation, As the year 2001 nears its end, it is
a time to express appreciation for what is good in the
world as well as to look forward in hope for a peaceful
new year. The
Schewe family and the rest of us at Sara’s
Wish Foundation want to take this opportunity to thank
you once again for your ongoing generosity and support for
the work we do in Sara’s name.
Here are some Foundation highlights from 2001: q
Sara’s
Wish Foundation has begun initiatives to develop a
coalition of foundations in order to offer a stronger
voice for greater travel safety.
Board member Stephen Winchell began discussions
with the Association for Safe International Road Travel [ASIRT]
in order to urge our government and, through the United
Nations, other countries to pursue measures to improve
safety in road travel, especially with regard to student
exchange programs. q
In June, representatives of Sara’s Wish Foundation attended ASIRT’s “Non-government
Organizations in Road Safety” conference in Washington,
DC. This
conference focused on influencing government partnerships
in order to improve road safety around the world. q
The annual golf outing at Crump ‘n Fox in
Bernardston, MA, was a huge success – the best ever.
Sara’s
Wish Foundation thanks Paul and Leslie Torpey, Fred
and Linda Hess, and John and Ann Sutliff for all the work
they do to make it the sensational event that it is.
And to all in the community who also support this
event, we thank you, too! q
In October, a benefit was held in San
Francisco for Sara’s Wish.
Over 500 people attended to support Sara’s
Wish Foundation and to honor Sara’s memory.
This event was organized by Sara’s friends from
Semester at Sea and Georgetown University. q
Our website at Sara’s
Wish Foundation has been dramatically redesigned with
wonderful graphics and richer content.
It now includes the joint testimony of our
Foundation and ASIRT before the House of Representatives
in October, 2000. You
can also find useful travel safety guidelines.
We especially direct you to the University of
Southern California’s SAFETI link:
it’s excellent! q
Sara’s
Wish Foundation was able to award scholarships to nine
outstanding young women, for a total of $10,300!
Here’s some information about each of them. ·
Jessica
Chan
An undergraduate at UCLA, Jessica received
$1000 to support her participation in a marine science
research project on the Great Barrier Reef through the
University of Queensland
in Australia. ·
Rebecca
Crespi
A student at the Yale University School of
Nursing, Rebecca received a $600 scholarship to cover the
costs of airfare to Belize where she provided nursing care
in the villages of the Corozal district, paying particular
attention to the health care needs of women and children. ·
Sarah
Dixon
Sarah will receive her bilingual teaching
credential from the University of California at Chico in
May, 2002. The
Foundation awarded Sarah a $1000 scholarship to travel to
Santiago, Chile, where she studied Spanish, lived with a
Chilean family, and volunteered in an elementary school. ·
Jeanette
Heinrichs Jeanette is pursuing a dissertation in sociology from the
University of Pittsburgh.
The $1000 Jeanette received from Sara’s Wish
Foundation helped to defray the costs of her trip to The
Philippines where she engaged in field research studying
the efforts of Filipina women to combat the global
trafficking of women. ·
Suzanne
McCoy
Suzanne earned two bachelor of arts degrees
from the University of Washington.
Prior to entering the Columbia University School of
Journalism this fall, Suzanne traveled to Guatemala to
work on a small community newspaper.
A scholarship of $1200 helped defray the costs of
her travel and Spanish study. ·
Courtney
Moyer
A classmate of Sara’s at Deerfield Academy,
Courtney received a $1000 scholarship to help pay the
program fees for her participation in a literacy program
in the Dominican Republic this past summer.
Courtney is pursuing her certification as a Spanish
teacher at the University of Massachusetts. ·
Elizabeth
Parsons
A medical student at Duke University, Elizabeth
was awarded a scholarship of $1500, support for her
participation in an expedition to bring medical care to a
Tibetan refugee population in India this past summer. ·
Lori
Pihl
Lori is a student in the medical school at
Louisiana State University.
The Foundation provided Lori with $1500 to help
defray the costs of airfare to Saigon, Viet Nam, where she
taught English and computer skills through a Vietnamese
volunteer organization that promotes literacy and job
skills. ·
Nisha
Thampi
Nisha is a student at McMaster University in
Hamilton, Ontario. This
summer, with the help of a $1500 scholarship, Nisha
traveled to Zambia where she worked with children orphaned
because of the death of their parents from HIV/AIDS. Nisha will pursue a graduate degree in public health from the
University of Michigan. Courtney Moyer is our first local
awardee. I’d
like to close with a quote from Courtney’s essay,
submitted to the Foundation upon her return.
Courtney’s words are echoed those of our other
recipients. I
want to thank the
Sara’s Wish Foundation for making my trip possible.
It was and continues to be a very powerful and
positive experience.
I feel that Sara is with me in all my travels as
well as the ideals of the Sara’s
Wish Foundation.
They are a constant source of inspiration and keep
me conscious of safety. In today’s world the mission of Sara’s Wish Foundation has taken on an even more profound meaning.
We are supporting young women to serve as
ambassadors of our country within the global community.
And, we are working for a safer world.
Thank you for continuing to sustain Sara’s
Wish Foundation. May you and your loved ones have a
safe and happy holiday season. Sincerely, Wendy Kohler Treasurer and Scholarship Chair Sara’s Wish Foundation
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