Zukowski Family Foundation

12/25/2025

Hello Friends & Family,
As 2025 draws to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on a year filled with learning, connection, and so many reminders of why this work matters. This was our first full year as co-chairmans of the Zukowski Family Foundation, and throughout every conversation and visit, RJ and I felt the privilege of continuing the legacy our parents began nearly two decades ago.
We’re also happy to share that our Mom and Dad have been staying incredibly active in their own community, which comes as no surprise to anyone who knows them. Our mom, Cheryl, continues to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, and our dad, Ray, now serves on the Executive Board for the Police Athletic League (PAL) of Flagler County and as a board member for Hammock Dunes Cares, the philanthropic arm of their community. Their leadership, service, and ongoing support of the ZFF continue to guide us—with love, with wisdom, and with an unwavering belief in our foundation’s mission of helping children.
Our entire board continues to amaze me with their dedication and care to nurturing our relationships in the communities we serve. Coming into our new roles, we made a simple commitment:

Honor the relationships that have shaped the Foundation, while staying open to new opportunities to serve.

One of the highlights of this year was meeting Justin Farrands, Major Gifts Officer from the Hole in the Wall Gang, for coffee while he was visiting Boston.Talking about the mission of the HITWG and the impact their work has on children with serious illnesses puts so much of life into perspective. The meetings I was going back to about security audits and feature releases had a different weight as I thought how privileged I am, even with a myriad of personal and professional woes and stressors, I still have more than enough to give time, energy and means to those who are in a greater need.

In this year’s letter, I want to highlight some of our key partners and share the wonderful work that they are doing, all made possible through donors and supporters like yourself. So buckle in, there’s a lot of great news and opportunity ahead.
A Landmark Year for the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
For more than 35 years, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp has carried forward Paul Newman’s vision of creating a place where children with serious illnesses can “raise a little hell” and experience the joys of childhood without limits. What began as a summer camp has grown into a year-round community of hope, healing, and connection—reaching children and families not only in Ashford, Connecticut but across the Northeast through hospital outreach, family programs, and now a second campus in Maryland.

This year was one of the most transformative in Camp’s history, and we wanted to share the impact that supporters like you helped make possible:

938 campers attended summer sessions in Ashford – the largest group since COVID
16 family weekends serving more than 400 families
Bereavement Weekends supporting their third cohort of families
29,735 healing experiences provided through the Hospital Outreach Program in 40+ hospitals
1,291 participants in CampOut Community Programs
991 parents and caregivings supported through 57 specialized programs

Behind every number is a child who laughed freely, a parent who exhaled with relief, and a family who felt supported during some of the hardest moments of their lives. We are incredibly proud to continue standing alongside The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp as they expand their reach and bring Paul Newman’s promise of joy and healing to even more children.

Families in Transition (FIT) in Flagler Beach: Supporting Children Close to Home
This year we had the pleasure of working again with the local Families in Transition (FIT) organization.

FIT currently serves more than 380 students experiencing homelessness. These are children often navigating challenges quietly and without the stability every child deserves. We were moved by their work to build school-based pantries accessible directly to students. These pantries provide food and hygiene items in a private, dignified way, removing barriers and helping students focus on learning.

A school social worker in Flagler shared:

“Your donations provide stability for our most vulnerable students, allowing them to focus on their academics instead of worrying about their next meal.”

One student shared that the pantry “means my dad doesn’t have to choose between laundry detergent and food.” Another added, “I’m glad future students won’t have to struggle like I did.”

These words stayed with us as we continue to partner with FIT.

I was fortunate enough that while visiting my parents this summer, I was able to meet Rashawnda Lloyd-Miller, the Flagler District FIT Liaison, to present a donation in person with my dad. When we met over lunch, I was able to learn more about her role and the work they were doing. I saw firsthand how relationships can strengthen the bonds of a community – his work with PALs and Hammock Dunes Cares led him to share ideas about learning opportunities for the students of Flagler, specifically ways to fund and organize educational field trips during the summer to ensure that at-risk students could stay engaged with education over the summer.

Celebrating Our Scholarship Recipient: Zoe Marsh
We were also honored to award our annual National Federation of the Blind scholarship to Zoe Marsh, an inspiring young woman beginning her freshman year at Marymount Manhattan College.

Zoe was born legally blind and suddenly lost the remaining vision she had halfway through high school. In the face of fear and uncertainty, she remained determined—learning new tools, mastering JAWS, and completing her honors classes with A’s and A+’s. Through programs like Perkins and the Colorado Center for the Blind, Zoe found skills, confidence, and a community that lifted her up. Her long-term dream is to become both an Orientation & Mobility Instructor and a psychologist—and eventually open a center for blind students in the Tri-State Area.

We are grateful to support Zoe, and grateful for our board member Deb Reed, President of the Central Connecticut Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind, whose leadership makes this partnership possible.

Honoring Legacy While Stepping Forward
In addition to the three organizations mentioned above, we continue to support the Montana chapter of the Special Olympics (the very same that my dad was once the Honorary Chairman of), as well as the Plymouth Food Pantry.

This year we made an additional donation to the Plymouth Food Pantry in honor of the late Marc J Reed who passed away at the age of 69 in October of this year. Thank you Deb and George for presenting this in person – it means more than words can say.

Reflecting on 2025, RJ and I find ourselves filled with gratitude: for our board, for our donors, and for every partner who helps make this work possible. It has been exciting to learn more about the operations of this foundation and to continue the legacy that our parents started.

With this work, we are reminded that legacy is not just what we receive—it’s what we choose to build. Our parents built this foundation with the hope that it would continue long after them, touching the lives of children they would never meet. If you or your family are thinking about the impact you want to leave behind, we hope you will consider keeping the Zukowski Family Foundation in your thoughts. Whether through annual giving or future legacy planning,

In gathering all the materials for this letter, I found an email signature from one of Rashawnda’s updates; it reads:

“Every child deserves a champion – an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be. - Rita Pierson”

This is why we continue our parent’s legacy and lead this foundation. As a small family foundation, 100% of every dollar donated goes directly to supporting children and families in need. If you feel moved to contribute this year, please know that your generosity—no matter the amount—creates real, lasting impact.
Thank you for believing in us, for standing with the communities we serve, and for helping us carry forward a legacy built on love, service, and hope.
To make a contribution to the ZFF please visit us zukowskifamilyfoundation,org or mail a check to the below address:
Zukowski Family Foundation
6 Valencia Ct.
Palm Coast, FL. 32137
Happy holidays and warmest wishes from our family to yours,

Carissa Zukowski

12/06/2024

Hello Friends & Family!
As 2024 draws to a close, we’re excited to share updates from the Zukowski Family Foundation and reflect on a transformative year.
We’re thrilled to welcome Shannon Zukowski and Deb Reed to the ZFF board. Shannon, a critical care and heart failure physician assistant, is passionate about helping others and joined the board after her marriage to RJ Zukowski in 2022. As a new mother, Shannon’s commitment to supporting children has grown even stronger.
Deborah, wife of board member George Reed, is a dedicated advocate for the blind and President of the Central Connecticut chapter of the National Federation of the Blind.
"Becoming a part of the Zukowski Family Foundation board allows me to collaborate with a diverse group that seeks to provide solutions for needs that affect children and I am excited and grateful to be part of this group." -Deborah Reed

Welcome Deb and Shannon!
Our gratitude goes to our entire board, especially George Reed and Todd Shaw. George, a member since 2013, has been instrumental in our partnership with The Hole in the Wall Gang, while Todd’s dedication since ZFF’s beginning in 2008 has helped grow our impact. Thank you both – we certainly wouldn’t be where we are today without your dedication and guidance.
With the new additions, Professor Proulx now has the opportunity to fully retire after 15 years of invaluable service. Joe plans to kick back with his spouse, Marge, and his two adorable grandchildren all living nearby in Maryland. Joe challenged us to think differently, pushing us to evolve in our mission. Thank you, Joe; your influence and insights will be dearly missed.

We are also pleased to introduce Mia Giannantonio, this year’s ZFF Scholarship recipient. Mia is a young lady from Bristol, CT. She has a rare eye condition since the age of three, and with her hard work and grit, she has been able to maintain honors every year of her high school education. Mia will be attending Post University in CT where she intends to major in Medical Research Information Technology.

Again, these things could not happen without your generous support. Thank you for your generosity and big hearts.

On a personal note, Cheryl and I became grandparents, entering a new phase for our family and ZFF. We could not think of a better time for us to begin to help transition RJ & Carissa into greater roles. With this next generation in mind, we’re excited to announce RJ and Carissa Zukowski as new co-chairs of ZFF. RJ and Carissa will bring fresh ideas, energy, and deep-rooted passion for our mission, ensuring a strong future for the foundation.

Please welcome RJ III to the Zukowski family and congratulations to our two new co-chairs, RJ and Carissa Zukowski. And now I’ll hand this letter off to them!



Hello, everyone (and thank you for getting this far in our letter!)

Carissa and I have been blessed to have grown up alongside the ZFF. We have spent the last decade being involved through the board and doing our best to guide the foundation forward and ultimately help as many children as possible.

While we do have pretty big shoes to fill, we plan to work closely with our parents and other board members as we continue to learn, grow and are mentored into our new roles. We are excited to continue to build off the amazing work that everyone has accomplished so far.

First and foremost, we would like to take this opportunity to give a big thank you to both of our parents for the dedication, energy, and sacrifice it has taken over these past 16 years to grow the ZFF into what it is today. We both admire you for having the vision and passion over the past 16 years and bringing our Vision to fruition. It has been a wonderful journey so far and we thank you for the opportunity to serve the board for these past 11 years.

Thank you Mom & Dad - we love you!

When RJ and I first stepped up into our new roles we decided the first thing we wanted to do was to take stock of where we are now and where we would like to be in the future. We looked at all the great relationships that were built over the past 15 years, all the lives that we have been fortunate enough to impact, and all the generous support we have received from our donors like you. We have spent recent meetings reflecting on our parents’ vision for the future to ensure we continue to stay true to our mission of helping children with the hopes of improving their overall outcomes in life.

We feel that by concentrating our efforts on those already strong relations held today that we can have a greater impact. We believe that we can do the most good by focusing our support on some of the already strong relationships such as The Hole in the Wall Gang, The Plymouth Food Pantry, Special Olympics, and our scholarship program with the National Federation of the Blind.

Refocusing on our mission means deepening our relationships and being selective in where we dedicate our efforts and funds. To highlight an example of our renewed focus on these deeper relationships - We had the opportunity to step-up and become one of the primary sponsors for the 2024 Monster Match Giving Day for The Hole in The Wall Gang. Having had meetings and discussions with Justin Farrands, and Jimmy Canton, Major Gifts Officer & CEO of the Hole in The Wall Gang Charity respectively, our board unanimously voted to provide the needed support.

We also had the opportunity to help with the Plymouth Food Pantry, if you have ever wondered if relationships matter, or if your donation matters, please see the excerpt below from Larry Chiucarello the Food Pantry’s Director.

“It is a great relief knowing that I can pick up the phone whenever the Pantry is in need and at a moment's notice there is a friendly voice on the other end asking "How are you doing?" and "What can I do for you?" You are the Pantry's Guardian Angel.”

As we wrap up the year - we wanted to share a few new areas that we are learning more about as we look for increased possibilities to expand our reach and impact.

Firstly, we have had meetings with the County Educational Foundation and the County Schools focusing on their Families in Transition program which focuses on identifying and helping homeless children in our area. We’d like to better understand what resources are already in place and how we can best augment these efforts right in our parent’s community.

We are currently in the process of understanding what it takes to build adaptive playgrounds. These all-inclusive play spaces are community landmarks where everyone regardless of ability can come together to play, learn from each other, and be part of a diverse and safe community.

Our aim is to better understand the resources and various agencies that play a role either through land-grants or financial grants to bring these playgrounds to fruition. We are currently looking into requirements for Cape Coral, Florida as that is home to our mom’s cousin. She currently has five adopted disabled children, and a safe space like an adaptive playground, is missing from their community. Stay-tuned as we learn more through our discovery phase and please reach out if you know of anyone who could help us connect more resources here.

As we wrap up a heartfelt thank you to all our supporters! You have nourished and encouraged this foundation through your words of support and generous donations. From the bottom of our family’s hearts, thank you for your generosity, thank you for enabling us to build these long-lasting relationships, and thank you for supporting what we do. Your time and donations go a long way to making a positive impact for those in need.

We are proud to meet the needs of disadvantaged children in the hopes that these acts of kindness and care serve as positive ripple effects, building momentum to a brighter future. None of this would be possible without the continued support of donors like yourselves.

We hope that you will consider a contribution this year – and know that 100% of every donation goes a long way to helping those that really need it!

Thank you again, and we are excited for what the year ahead will bring!

To view previous year’s updates please visit us at
Zukowskifamilyfoundation.org

To make a contribution to the ZFF please visit us at the above website or mail a check to the below address:

Zukowski Family Foundation
6 Valencia CT.
Palm Coast FL. 32137

Happy holidays and warmest wishes from our family to yours,

The Zukowski’s

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12/08/2023

This being our 15th year with the Zukowski Family Foundation, I thought it appropriate to use this letter to reflect on our past decade and a half and to thank many of those people who have helped the ZFF grow into the organization that it is today. I am so proud of how far we have come, I am so grateful for all of our contributors’ time, effort, and donations, and I am filled with optimism for the future and those that we can help going forward.

Fifteen years and counting! If you asked me 15 years ago what my hopes were for our foundation I’d be honest and say I wasn’t completely sure. I knew that we didn’t want to be just another charitable foundation writing checks. How would we differentiate ourselves? What could possibly separate us from so many other worthwhile causes.

We started small by building our scholarship program. We included access to a network of resources, mentoring opportunities, resume help, and many check-in points throughout our recipients’ academic careers including annual dinners, and exam touch points with notes & gift boxes to help our students get through their exams with a little less stress. Ah Ha… Relationships would be one of our differentiators. No we won’t just write a check and wait until next year… we try and take part in every aspect as possible with every relationship we enter into. Thank you Cheryl for all that you’ve done for the past 15 years for our scholarship winners.

All of our programs are set around personal relationships and of course our Vision & Mission in helping children here in the United States of America. Pretty simple but effective. For the past 15 years we’ve worked on building programs that have allowed us to enter into a deeper and more meaningful relationships.

We also sponsor and support a few National programs, such as The Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital and The Ronald McDonald House, which are programs we supported while living in Baltimore and prior to our foundation being formed in 2008. These programs remain near and dear to our kids and we hope to be able to continue providing support.

For the most part we look to support smaller programs that don’t get the National exposure, (tv time), that the larger programs receive. One such organization is the The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp out fo Ashford CT. They run mostly off of the profits from Paul Newman’s food sales. For the past 35 years The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp has provided an outlet for seriously ill children. The camp provides much needed fun and a joyful experience outside their hospital environment. They have grown from serving 288 childeren in 1988 to more than 20,000 today and rapidly growing with their latest expansion to the Mid-Atlantic region. We thank George Reed our Northeast board member who continues to build our relationship at all levels within The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp.

We also continue to reach back to my hometown of Terryville CT. We have been able to expand our support with the Plymouth Food Pantry for the past five years. Larry Chiucartello, director of the Plymouth Food Bank continues to do an outstanding job by adding educational programs, while meeting the food needs within our community. Their goal is to reduce food insecurity for their customers by providing healthy and nutritious food, wellness programs, and community referrals for those in need. We are thankful for having Larry at the helm leading the way. Larry has also been instrumental introducing George Reed, our Northeast ZFF board member, to small wonders where George has worked with the Knights of Columbus to get 72 new coats to the Small Wonders program…. Many Thanks Larry!

So as you can see we set out to build long, lasting relationships in everything we become involved with. I would like to share with you three examples from e-mails, notes, and messages received from some of our scholarship recipients. We receive many but I picked three that demonstrate different points on their academic or now careers for those past graduates. I chose our newest scholarship recipient along with one that just finished their fourth year and graduated May this year, along with one of our graduates from 2017.

The first note Elijah Dionne. Elijah is a student at Central Connecticut State College. He received his associates degree from Tunxis Community College and wants to develop techniques that will help aspiring musicians with disabilities. A small excerpt from Elijah’s message: A tool is only as valuable as the person using it. I’m of the mindset that having an education, a degree, is a tool. It’s not like a hammer or power drill either. It isn’t used for just one thing. Education is a multi-purpose tool. It’s more like a Swiss Army Knife.
By granting me this scholarship, you’ve put your faith in me that I will learn how to use this tool. You’ve trusted that I will utilize it for the betterment of myself, my future, and the future of those around me. For that I am eternally grateful. Someday, I hope to pass this good deed on to others.

Our next message came from Isabella Christina, whom graduated from the University of New Haven May 2023.

As I prepare to graduate on Saturday I wanted to take the time to thank everyone at the foundation for seeing my potential just four years ago when I was a senior at Terryville High School. Your continuous support throughout my academic journey has not been overlooked and I cannot thank you enough.

And last a note from Tom Valencis who graduated in 2017 from Eastern Connecticut State College with a degree in finance. Tom was a single year scholarship recipient back in 2013. We were so impressed with Tom’s work ethic and his willingness to help others that we extended Tom’s scholarship for an additional three years. Tom’s message:

This past week was my first week as the Controller for PCX Aerosystems, where I’ll be the head of accounting and finance. As I begin to settle into my new role, I am humbly reminded of where it all began.

I would not be in such a position if it wasn’t for the kindness and opportunities the Zukowski Family Foundation presented to me about this time a decade ago. You helped form a foundation that was vital in my growth and development, which instilled a mindset to always push myself to be the best I can be. Though my mindset sometimes let me be consumed by my work, I don’t ever want to lose sight on the importance of staying in contact with the ones I love.

I truly appreciate all that you have done, for not only me, but for all the other kids lives you impact. If there is anything I can do for you or the foundation to further your mission, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

These are just a few examples of relationships we’ve made over the past 15 years… I believe in building longstanding, trustful, relationships… That will hopefully always be our cornerstone!

Having a strong base of supporters with several new additions over the past 18 months, will allow us once again to increase and or maintain all the programs including several new programs introduced over the past two years. These include Special Olympics Montana, and the Symphony youth program out of Great Falls Montana, and our third year supporting the National Federation of the Blind.

We are thrilled to have found our way back to Special Olympics through our friends, Beth McFadden and Bob Norbie. Having had the privilege to be Honorary Chairperson for Special Olympics Montana and attending the World Games in 2008 in Shanghai was one of the highlights of my life. We are thrilled that we are once again supporting such a great cause. An excerpt from Rhonda McCarty, CEO Special Olympics Montana, “Beyond the benefit of year-round competition, our athletes experience the sheer joy that comes from new-found confidence, self-esteem, determination, and friendship. This is perhaps best expressed in the words of Special Olympics Montana Athlete Ruschelle Tyvand of Butte. “Special Olympics Montana teaches you to believe in your self and to BE yourself”

We knew we couldn’t solve all of the world’s issues, but hopefully by focusing on children in the US we could at least establish long lasting relationships with individuals and organizations that believe in paying it forward… we couldn’t boil the ocean but we certainly hope to have a long lasting ripple affect that will carry on for many generations.

In closing, a BIG THANK YOU to all of our current supporters, thank you for your generosity, thank you for enabling us to build these long lasting relationships, and thank you for paying it forward. To everyone else, thank you for reading this letter, we hope that we can count on you to help further grow our foundation and to join the ZFF family. Your time and donations go a long way to making a positive impact for those in need and to continuing to build longstanding relationships in everything we touch.

To view previous year’s updates please visit us at

zukowskifamilyfoundation.org

Wishing everyone very Happy Holidays this year!

Happy Holidays

12/08/2023

01/28/2023

January is often a time for reflection. For us, 2022 will be remembered as a year of growth, and transition. We welcomed 24 new ZFF supporters, thanks to RJ & Shannon Zukowski’s generous mention of charities in lieu of wedding gifts. We are blessed to be able to expand some of our existing relationships while adding a few new programs.

Cheryl and I, along with the ZFF Board of Directors, were honored by such a selfless act and the enormous response we received…. Thank you, RJ & Shannon, for having the desire to share with others in need! We are pleased and blessed to have matched all these wonderful contributions increasing our ability to expand and add programs and relationships.

With the added resources and support we were able to

- Continue our support of the Ronald McDonald House of Baltimore, (RMH), a 13-year relationship that we are proud to still support
- Renew our scholarship program with the National Federation of the Blind, (NFB), for a third year
- Expand our support with the Plymouth Food Pantry
- Increase our footprint with The Hole In the Wall Gang rounding out a full decade of support

These additional resources gave us an opportunity to add new programs and relationships such as being able to help the evacuation of more than 100+ children from the Ukraine to Poland, the reengagement of past charities such as Special Olympics Montana, and the addition of the Great Falls Symphony education and outreach programs. Great Falls Montana has always had a special place in our family’s hearts. When our kids were growing up, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Special Olympics Montana through Beth McFadden and Bob Norbie two special people with tremendous focus on making a difference in their community. Beth was a board member of Special Olympics Montana and had her entire workforce of 600+ associates behind this great cause. Bob was CEO of Special Olympics Montana and was on the Special Olympics International Board of Directors for five years. It’s because of these two individuals our kids grew up knowing and supporting such a wonderful cause. I also had the good fortune of being named an Honorary Chairperson for SOMT allowing me to attend the World Games held in Shanghai in 2007. It is gratifying to see this come full circle and now being remembered and passed down, I’m confident for many generations to come.

SOMT — Special Olympics Montana goes far beyond the benefit of playing and competing in sports. Beyond the benefit of year-round sports training and competition, the athletes experience the sheer joy that comes from new-found confidence, self-esteem, determination, and friendship. This is perhaps best expressed in the words of Special Olympics Montana athlete Ruchelle Tyvand of Butte, “Special Olympics Montana teaches you to believe in yourself and to BE yourself!”

One final highlight of this past year that we will include here is Isabel Rosario, a student at Southern Connecticut University, a recipient of the ZFF scholarship. She is in her third year of college and plans to continue studying social work with a goal of a master’s degree. Her goal after graduation is to counsel others one-on-one. Isabel is a lovely young woman who co-chairs the Association of Blind Students Legislative for Self-Advocacy Committee. She is also president of the Guide Dog Division in Connecticut and part of the national Association of blind students.

This letter cannot possibly convey the real-life impact that all of your support has made possible, and none of this could have happened without our dedicated, loyal, ZFF supporters, so I will end with one final thank you to all of our supporters – old and new – who have directly supported our Vision & Mission in helping to transform lives… Thank you all and here is to a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2023

The Zukowski’s