John & Joan Roney Memorial Scholarship
For decades, my Mom was a Sandpiper helping with the homes tour and dancing in the Follies many years ago. I still remember the countless binders with scholarship applications from high school seniors. Mom would spend hours reviewing submissions to ensure her selections were accurate. It wasn’t easy because all the students were qualified and deserving. My father was equally invested and made it a priority to support the events and donated annually. Therefore, when Mom passed in 2017, it seemed natural to designate the Sandpipers Scholarship Fund for any honorary donations.
Hence, in 2017, we established the John and Joan Roney Memorial Scholarship Fund, intending to award two scholarships each year to the most academically qualified and deserving female and male applicants who are also student leaders. We awarded the first scholarships in 2019. The fund started with donations and has grown with a strong investment market and donations. My wife and I continue to contribute each year as it is an important Philanthropy for us.
Additionally, we are very lucky to have an employer-matched donation with Johnson & Johnson that matches our donations, thus doubling the impact.
While there are many philanthropic organizations - and we try to support many - Sandpipers is very important because of my parents lengthy ties. Equally important are the many lifelong friendships they formed over many decades. A high percentage of their South Bay friends were Sandpipers. This number speaks volumes about the quality of individuals drawn to volunteer.
I was never personally involved other than attending the Sandpipers Follies as a young boy the year my Mom was President in 1968. Since the establishment of the scholarship fund, I have dealt with numerous volunteers on many issues. I have found each and every interaction to be extremely pleasant, productive, and most friendly. It is easy to see why my folks had so many great lifelong friends from this organization.
If someone were to ask me where to donate funds for a good cause with a great organization, it’s easy to recommend Sandpipers.
To me, the cause and purpose are essential, but it is the people who make the difference. My experience thus far suggests the people I have dealt with are very special. The bottom line is that we want our philanthropy to be meaningful and positively impact all the people in our community. As such, it is important for us to vet organizations for strong leadership, causes we are aligned with, fiscal responsibility, and people who care equally about the mission and who are friendly, competent, and easy to work with. I believe in my heart I have found such an organization. I look forward to seeing more scholarships awarded in the future.
- Harvey and Joni Roney