The Remembering Jamie Foundation is celebrating its 23rd annual ‘Italian Night Dinner’ Saturday, Feb. 25, 4-8 p.m. at the Elks Lodge in Egg Harbor Township. The event celebrates the life of Jamie Crescenzo and is a fundraiser for the Jamie Crescenzo Memorial Fund that to date has given out more than 60 scholarships to local students.
Jamie Crescenzo lost her life tragically in a car accident on February 18, 2000. Jamie was only 20 years old at the time, was an Egg Harbor Township High School graduate and a full time student at Atlantic Cape Community College. She was on her way to work that morning when extreme weather conditions hit.
Jamie’s parents, Jim and Margaret Crescenzo quickly establish the Remembering Jamie Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, as a way to honor Jamie’s life. “It is a reflection of everything that was important to Jamie,” says Jim Crescenzo, “family, friends, community and education.”
The Remembering Jamie Foundation gives multiple scholarships each year to Egg Harbor Township High School graduates, Atlantic Cape Community College and Stockton students. It also gives out grants to community organizations including the Egg Harbor Township Police Athletic League, Covenant House and Atlantic County Adopt a Road.
Through the years, Jim and Margaret have been able to see the recipients of the Remembering Jamie Foundation scholarships grow and achieve their dreams. Many keep in touch and appreciate the investment in them that the Remembering Jamie Foundation provided.
“More than the money, it is the vote of confidence that matters the most to the students,” says Jim Crescenzo “It’s like someone saying ‘Hey, I believe in you.”
Jamie Crescenzo, in only 20 years, touched a lot of lives. “She would do anything for anyone,” says Jim Crescenzo, as he described a time when Jamie purchased gifts for a coworker’s children because they were struggling financially. Jamie was a member of her High School Key Club and the manager of the Girls Basketball team. She worked hard to pay her tuition and understood the value of both education and community.
If you would like more information or to purchase tickets to the upcoming Italian Night Dinner, go to www.rememberingjamie.org
