The response to our Lauren Nicole Rizzetta Fund has been overwhelming. Just a month into the fund, I have already received so many beautiful messages, words of encouragement and offers to support and contribute. I wanted to share some of the amazing progress we have made after the first month of the fund, which has been humbling to say the least.
Here is one message I received which nearly brought me to tears.
“I just read your announcement about the LNR fund in memory of your sister Lauren. The fund, who it represents and who it will be helping has brought me to tears today in so many ways. First, I think of my daughter and your sister–I don’t know your family’s specific circumstances, challenges and victories, but I do know the journey. I also think of my son and I say this all the time–there is a level of empathy and consideration for others that by being a special needs sibling is truly innate and can never be learned in a textbook. Your generosity in creating this fund proves that. And of course, I think of the families that will benefit from the LNR Fund. So on behalf of so many families that will now have this opportunity, thank you.”
This note captures the exact reason we established the LNR Fund.
Too often, we overlook the amount of time, resource and care that special needs students require in order to properly develop their social, emotional and academic skills. This challenge is exacerbated for families of special needs children who lack the financial means to provide their children with various resources required outside of the classroom. These resources are critical to providing an equitable learning experience for special needs students of all socioeconomic backgrounds.
Through the LNR Fund, it is our hope that in a small way we can level the playing field for families of special needs students that lack the financial means to afford critical resources such as technology, infrastructure, mental health care and various other resources.
Additionally, the LNR Fund gives me a chance to honor the memory of my sister, who passed-away two days before her 24th birthday in 2004. When I started my first business, I vowed to build something that she would be proud of. 11 years later, that business, N6A, has went on to achieve great things, and it now lives as one of the signature assets in the portfolio of our holding company, North Sixth Group.
None of this would have been possible without the influence of my sister, who has played an important role in my business career and has guided me in so many ways spiritually. The fund ensures that her legacy will live on in many special needs students who desperately need access to these resources. It also ensures that her spirit will continue to help me keep things in perspective as we execute on the vision of our newly formed holding company North Sixth Group, whose mission is to invest Passion, Purpose and Progress.
For the time being, the LNR Fund is not set up to receive donations. So, while we appreciate all the support and the generous offers to contribute, we are unable to accept outside donations for now. The LNR Fund is fully financed by our holding company, North Sixth Group, with annual contributions provided to select schools and districts. The funds are earmarked specifically for special needs students at these schools and districts below a certain household income threshold.
The schools and districts we selected for the inaugural year of the LNR Fund are: Alexander Hamilton High School (Elmsford, NY), Kappa-III Middle School (Bronx, NY), Mamaroneck Union Free School District (Mamaroneck, NY) and New Rochelle School District (New Rochelle, NY). We are proud to be supporting each of these schools and districts through the fund.
We will begin accepting applications for the 2021-22 school year in June 2021. If you are a school administrator who is interested in applying for the LNR Fund, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
Thanks for your support of the LNR Fund, and for helping us honor the memory of my sister in a meaningful and impactful way.
Matt Rizzetta
Chairman, North Sixth Group