Ava and Lia Correra both had big footsteps to fill when they became founding members of the Kids for Kids Junior Committee, but throughout the years have proven themselves to be the future of Kids for Kids!
TThe Correra sisters watched their family members and close family friends help grow the Kids for Kids Foundation from a very young age, and when the opportunity of joining the Junior Committee in 2012 presented itself, there was no question that they were ready to continue the legacy of philanthropy and leadership.
For the past three years, Ava and Lia have been the top fundraisers within the Junior Committee raising between $15,000 to $25,000 a year for Kids for Kids and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. They have been able to reach such great success in their fundraising by continuing to engage their families, friends, and school communities.
The event they are most passionate about is the St. Jude Math a Thon that is hosted annually in their middle school and has raised over $20,000. When asked about Ava and Lia’s fundraising efforts at their school, teacher mentor Ms. Maureen Gordon writes, “Lia and Ava did an amazing job facilitating the Math a Thon at our school. Alongside our National Junior Honor Society, they were able to motivate the 4th and 5th grade to use their mathematical skills to raise money and help others! They were able to engage their fellow classmates in raising life-saving money for the children and families of St. Jude.”
Throughout their 9 years as Junior Committee Members, the Correra girls have taken multiple leadership roles within the committee, most recently with Ava serving as Committee Secretary for the 2018-2019 fundraising year. Both girls continue to be pillars of the committee by attending and participating in their fellow members’ events such as Alyssa and Mike Burke’s Dine and Donate fundraiser at Denino’s Pizzeria. They are constantly encouraged to keep working hard by seeing the support of friends, families, and even strangers who donate.
When Board Chair, Robert Catalano looks back on the Correra’s success he states “The Junior Committee is one of the things I’m most proud of within the Foundation, and seeing both of these members excel through the Junior Committee has given me great joy. As Founder and Board Chair of Kids for Kids, their grassroot and school fundraisers have inspired me and given me great hope for the future of Kids for Kids.”
As the Kids for Kids Foundation continues to grow year after year, the Correra Sisters are helping the Junior Committee grow to new heights! Their goal for 2021 is to begin a New Jersey Chapter of the Committee to help others in their communities be part of this incredible foundation and cause. When asked why it is so important to start giving back at a young age, Ava reflects on her family sharing, “Lia and I think it is so important to get involved at a young age because our parents instilled in us that it is essential to be charitable, and that simple kind acts and giving back to the community can change the whole world for the better.”
Kids for Kids is excited to see both Ava and Lia continue to be leaders within their own networks and grow the Junior Committee to reach more communities.
