06/10/2016
I vividly remember sitting in the Moritz Moot Court office in the fall of 2012 (no doubt while I was supposed to be reading from an obnoxiously heavy case book for class) and experiencing one of those rare, remarkable moments of clarity in which I knew that there was something I needed to do. That something was the creation of the Grassbaugh Veterans Project, though I had no idea how it would work or what it would entail at the time - all I knew was that I was in possession of life insurance funds signifying the worst day (and ensuing nightmare) of my life, and I felt compelled to use those funds to help others without the resources to help themselves. $250,000 seemed like the right amount to attract some attention and demonstrate I was serious about this endeavor, and a fundraising campaign to "match" that amount sounded equally compelling. What COULDN'T we accomplish with half a million dollars?
The good news is that we'll now get to find out. Just over 3 years since the creation of the Grassbaugh Veterans Project, we have officially exceeded our goal of "matching" that initial $250,000 endowment, and we have the wonderful, generous individuals of "Women & Philanthropy" to thank. On the evening of June 7th, the Women & Philanthropy foundation selected the Grassbaugh Veterans Project to receive a donation of $52,500. Over 50 applicants were considered, and the Grassbaugh Veterans Project was one of 3 selected to receive a grant. At a time when women all over the world (and, in particular, the military) are literally breaking glass ceilings, this is a remarkable gift signifying more than just numbers on a piece of paper. This is the achievement of the goal we've used to signify the true meaning and permanency of what was once no more than an ambitious vision, and I have so many people to thank for making this possible. Below is a very recent photo from Arlington from Memorial Day weekend - a bittersweet reminder of how much we often have to lose to appreciate what we have and turn that appreciation into something bigger than ourselves.
With this recent milestone, Jon is undoubtedly smiling. I am smiling, Jon's family is smiling, Cybele is smiling, Erin is smiling, the GVP fellows - past and present - are smiling, and it's all thanks to those that believed us when we said that with half a million dollars, there was nothing that we couldn't do. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am truly overcome with emotion and moved to tears. WE DID IT!!
