Hats off to Vici Sheffield's tireless, innovative and successful organizing initiative to establish and ensure the future of the Major John H. Mark, Jr. Study Abroad Scholarship at Manhattan College ( connect.manhattan.edu/majorjohnhmarkjrscholarship ). Following very quickly after John's sudden death, several of John's friends including, Gianluca and Barbara Rottura, Cara Elizabeth, John Colgan, and Vici, established the Facebook group "John H. Mark, Jr. Fan Club" while sitting at table discussing how to memorialize JH. Vici has used the Fan Club to provide John's friends and family an opportunity to pause, to think of John and to think of John's commitment to educational excellence by organizing several online events to generate interest, support and contributions. A few of the successful events were the Halloween; Veteran's Day; Thanksgiving; and the recent Christmas / Hanukkah opportunities.
Although her requests for contributions were a modest $11 for Veteran's Day (Nov. 11); $8 for the eight days of Hanukkah, or $12 for the Twelve Days of Christmas, the outpouring of support for the scholarship has been so successful that the early January 2016 reports from Manhattan College Development Office, confirm that the Major John H. Mark, Jr. Study Abroad Scholarship has met the minimum requirements to be perpetually endowed.
Keep watching the John H. Mark, Jr. Fan Club page on Facebook. Vici has some interesting events planned. The goal is to make the Major John H. Mark, Jr. Study Abroad Manhattan College Scholarship ( connect.manhattan.edu/johnhmarkjrscholarship ) the most prestigious Manhattan College scholarship, honoring the person for whom it was established.
All contributions to the scholarship fund are tax deductible and qualify for matching gifts programs.