Alix Garzero & Eugene Powell

A Generous Spirit Runs On

Recent trends in charitable giving indicate that as donors become more and more sophisticated in understanding the impact of their gifts, they also begin to seek more creative ways to ensure their support is maximized. For Alix Garzero of Highland Park, New Jersey, simply mailing in a contribution to the American Indian College Fund in honor of her friend, Eugene Powell, didn't seem a fitting enough tribute for the intelligent, patient and compassionate artist who had supported her own endeavors throughout the years.

So on October 9, 2005, Garzero joined thousands of other runners and completed the Chicago Marathon in celebration of Powell, who had recently undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment for lung cancer. While completing the grueling 26.2 mile race was a challenge, there were many supporting her with each step, having heeded Alix's appeal to friends and family to donate to one of Powell's favorite causes, the American Indian College Fund. Powell and his wife, Neva, have been supporters of the Fund since 1990. Early supporters, like the Powells, were critical in building a strong base of support that has made the Fund what it is today.

"Honoring Gene by running the Chicago Marathon seems natural," Garzero explained. "Because Gene is so dear to me and to the rest of the family, and because he has given me so much in terms of friendship and love, I want to run the Chicago Marathon for him, and to raise money for this charity aligned with his sense of justice and social responsibility."

As a result of her heartfelt letter, nearly one hundred people responded to Garzero's request. And while completing a marathon in under five hours would be a momentous accomplishment to most everyone, Garzero's achievement also included raising $5,000 for the American Indian College Fund, to be used for scholarships-all in honor of Eugene Powell, a friend whose lifelong generosity and strength of spirit would now resonate in the lives of countless others throughout Indian Country wishing to attain better lives for themselves and their people through the power of education.