The Robert and Marjorie Kohn Pledge 13 Program was created by Jewish Family and Career Services to encourage seventh grade students to perform 13 hours of community service the year of a student’s bar or bat mitzvah. One of its students this year is Drew Fry, the son of Kimberly and Kendall Fry, who will be celebrating his bar mitzvah in the summer of 2012.
Two years ago, Drew’s cousin invited him to participate in The Step-Out Walk to Stop Diabetes. Drew participated and was pleased to support the American Diabetes Association. Although Drew himself does not have diabetes, he has family members, friends, teachers and even a cat, all of whom live with the diagnosis.
This year, Drew wanted to do more than just participate as a walker; he formed his own team and named it Drew’s Fight Against Diabetes. He started with a goal to raise $300.
Drew designed his own team web site to solicit donations, researched facts about diabetes and even designed T-shirts for his team. He monitored his web site and joyfully watched as the donations came in. His hard work and diligence really paid off and he surpassed his original goal, raising $1,151 for the American Diabetes Association.
“Drew’s project is very meaningful and is a wonderful example of how the Marjorie and Robert Kohn Pledge 13 program encourages young people to perform mitzvot,” said JFCS Executive Director Judy Freundlich Tiell. “Hopefully these acts of tikkun olam [repairing the world] will become lifelong habits and will serve to enhance the community. We applaud Drew and his family.”
