New York, Sept. 5 … First Responders Children’s Foundation (FRCF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the children of U.S. first responders, is pleased to announce that it will be providing 413 college scholarship awards this year, totaling $1.14 million, to children of first responders across the nation. 

In addition to offering scholarships to children of firefighters, police officers, corrections officers, paramedics, EMTs, and 911 dispatchers, FRCF provides first responder families with bereavement grants, emergency financial hardship grants, free mental health counseling, and disaster relief. FRCF also has a robust community engagement program to help forge lasting relationships that build trust, inspire future first responders, and strengthen the bonds between communities and public safety agencies across the country.

This year, FRCF created a special scholarship award in the name of Nashville first responders who rushed into action to save children during a tragic shooting at The Covenant School on Monday, March 27. The ‘First Responders Children’s Foundation Nashville Hero Scholarship’ will be awarded to a child of a Davidson County first responder and will be granted up to $20,000 over four years for trade school, college, or graduate school expenses. 

“There were a record number of FRCF scholarship applications this year, reflecting tremendous financial needs within the first responder community,” said First Responders Children’s Foundation President and CEO Jillian Crane. “FRCF is enormously grateful to its donors and corporate sponsors for making these scholarships possible, and we will continue reaching out to individuals and corporate entities to help meet the growing need. With parents heading into harm’s way each and every day, these children have truly unique challenges, and helping them reach their full potential is our civic obligation.  This community is always there for us; we must be there for them as well.”  

Sponsors of the FRCF scholarship program includes Scooter Braun; Cradlepoint/Verizon; CSX Pride in Service; Devon Energy; PricewaterhouseCoopers; Rosewood Foundation; Smiling Rocks; T-Mobile; Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA); Universal Music Group Nashville, and Victoria Ovis – Louis Vuitton. 

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ABOUT FIRST RESPONDERS CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION (FRCF) 
First Responders Children’s Foundation is a national foundation that provides programs and resources that address the specific needs of children of first responders. The Foundation focuses on critical areas, including scholarships, financial assistance grants; bereavement assistance, mental health counseling for children; disaster relief; and community engagement programs to foster positive relationships between first responder agencies and the communities they serve. FRCF was founded over 22 years ago in response to 9/11 when 800 children lost a first responder parent. Additional information about FRCF can be found at www.1stRCF.org and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @1strcf.

Bill O’Reilly
212-396-9117
bill@oreillycommunications.com