Senator Anna M. Kaplan Delivers Grant for Gun Violence Prevention Efforts

CARLE PLACE, NY (September 30, 2022) - Today, NYS Senator Anna M. Kaplan (D-Port Washington) presented a $25,000 grant for gun violence prevention efforts to the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund, a nonprofit organization created in response to the tragic loss of Scott J. Beigel, the hero geography teacher and cross-country coach at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 innocent people died from gun violence. The fund provides camperships to help send at-risk children touched by gun violence to summer sleep-away camp to help stop the cycle of violence and provide children with an opportunity to heal from their traumatic experiences. The $25,000 grant from Senator Kaplan will send 19 young people impacted by gun violence to summer sleep-away camp.

Senator Anna M. Kaplan said “the number of children whose lives have been forever altered by gun violence is a national tragedy, and while we work to end the gun violence epidemic by passing stronger laws that get dangerous weapons out of our communities, we also need to care for those left in the wake of tragedy to stop the cycle of violence. I’m grateful for the work of the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund to support at-risk youth and make our communities safer, and I’m proud to support their mission with a grant that will impact the lives of 19 young people for the better.”

Linda Beigel Schulman, co-founder of the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund, said “My son Scott’s mission in life was teaching, mentoring, and helping children of all ages to flourish and grow, so we started the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund to continue doing the things Scott was passionate about: helping support at risk children and giving them a shot at a better tomorrow. We’re so grateful for Senator Anna Kaplan’s support of our mission, and of our efforts to keep our communities safe from the horrors of gun violence. Thanks to her generous grant, 19 at-risk children touched by gun violence will have a life-changing summer sleep-away camp experience. And thanks to the law she passed in Scott’s honor, the Scott J. Beigel Unfinished Receiver Act, dangerous ghost guns are being taken out of our communities and stopping more senseless tragedies from ever taking place. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.”

Scott J. Beigel loved working with children, and teaching afforded him the ability to continue with one of his life’s passions, working at sleep-away camp. He worked diligently to have a positive impact on every child, no matter how young or old, no matter what the issues. Scott is often referred to as the “Hero Teacher of Parkland Florida” because he died protecting his students from gunfire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

In 2021, Senator Kaplan passed the strongest ban on dangerous, untraceable ghost guns in the nation, and named the bill the Scott J. Beigel Unfinished Receiver Act in honor of Scott because the bill will save lives, just like Scott did.

This is the second year in a row that Senator Kaplan has provided a $25,000 gun violence prevention grant to the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund, bringing the total support to $50,000 and serving 38 at-risk young people.