“SMALL FUND, BIG IMPACT”: “‘Small Fund, Big Impact’ is our motto, and it’s so true! For 18 years, our Johnson Park Koko Fund has assisted Johnson Park students experiencing financial hardship by subsidizing enrichment programs they can join.” Koko Fund co-chairs Philip Arnold and Deirdre von Roemer are proud of the fund’s contributions in offering students an opportunity to participate in a variety of activities.

By Jean Stratton

If you don’t have students attending Johnson Park (JP) Elementary School, the Koko Fund may be unknown to you.

But it is such an important program, providing opportunities and enrichment to so many children, that it won’t remain unknown for long. Its impact continues to grow, as new students become involved and the community helps provide needed support.

What is it and how did it begin? First of all, Koko is a gorilla! That is: the large stuffed animal version which is the Johnson Park mascot. It reminds the students to: “Be Responsible. Be Respectful. Be Safe. Be Kind. Be Successful.”

The Koko Fund mission “is to assist current Johnson Park students from families in financial need by subsidizing enrichment opportunities, including summer camp and extracurricular activities that these families may be unable to afford. Thanks to our Koko Fund, all JP students have access to opportunities that enrich their education, ignite their imagination, and inspire a desire to branch out and try new things.”

Starting Point

The Fund began in 2006, when it became apparent to the JP community that many students were unable to participate in after-school activities because their families could not afford the cost. Many students were receiving free or reduced-price lunches (currently, the number is 80), and this was a starting point for the Koko Fund.

Through the JP Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), parents, teachers, and staff become involved in establishing the fund, which is overseen by an advisory board consisting of two co-chairs, a PTO liaison, and six additional board members.

Current members, all volunteers, include co-chair Deirdre von Roemer (parent), co-chair Philip Arnold (parent), PTO liaison Shae Cox (parent), Liliana Morenilla (Princeton Public Schools community outreach), Michele Cowell (school secretary), Dawn Henderson (school librarian). Sharon Vunk (fifth-grade teacher), Rusty Szurek (parent), and Resa Giacoppo (parent).

As von Roemer explains, “Former Johnson Park principal Dr. Robert Ginsberg was the founder of the Koko Fund and one of its strongest supporters. He always made time to know each student and their family on a personal level. He always took time to make sure all the students and families felt included.”

Ginsberg remains dedicated to the fund, and he points out the important role it fulfills. “There is a great disparity in family incomes among the children who attend Princeton’s public schools,” he says. “The Koko Fund, in its small but significant way, tries to address those disparities.

“Helping to ensure that these kids can participate in enrichment and athletic activities, and can learn, play, and compete with their peers, is a significant and rewarding experience.”

Wonderful Group

The co-chairs and board members regularly hold meetings, work with community partners, and oversee fundraisers.

Von Roemer is grateful for her association with her colleagues. “I think this is such a wonderful group! The teachers and staff, in addition to their normal day-to-day duties, work to reach out and contact parents to let them know about extracurricular activity options. The staff is always on the lookout for a student in need.”

Over the years, the opportunities have included activities focusing on science, sports, summer camp, acting, art, dance, and nature.

Among the community partners this year are the Arts Council of Princeton, Ecclesia Summer Soccer Camp, Princeton Ballet School, Princeton Recreation Department, Rambling Pines Camp, Stone Hill Church Summer Camp, Watershed Nature Camp, and the YMCA.

In addition, the students attend after-school clubs run by the JP PTO, which include tennis, basketball, cheerleading, chess, and art.

Von Roemer adds that the board makes an effort to match the activities with the students’ interests, and the program continues to expand as it becomes known to more families, and as the need grows.

Typical Number

A typical number in the program is 70 kids, but this can vary. Membership dropped during COVID-19, von Roemer notes, but it’s increasing now, and more students are able to participate.

“We are so lucky to have the community support of our partners who offer special and significant discounts for their programs and activities,” she says. “Many of the partners have stayed involved over the years, and have been so committed.”

A major part of the Koko Fund’s success is due to the enthusiasm and effort of the board and co-chairs and so many others, including JP parents, teachers, and staff. The emphasis is always on inclusion and supporting those who need help.

For example, according to JP principal Angela Siso Stentz, “The Koko Fund is truly symbolic of the love and care that is demonstrated at JP for each and every student, in particular families who need some financial support, so they can have access to opportunities and experiences that their peers do.

“One quarter of JP’s student population benefits from the Koko Fund; therefore, it is near and dear to our heart. Our families feel supported and included, and that is what Johnson Park is all about — making sure we are welcoming, supporting, and caring of all families.”

Adds Morenilla, “To be able to help the underserved community and being able to give all kids the same opportunities, support, and attention to extracurricular activities is so important. This has such an impact on these kids. Koko is the key for many kids to feel ‘normal,’ and do activities they like and in a way that makes them feel special.”

Social Barriers

Arnold agrees, adding, “For me, the most rewarding part of being a part of the Koko Fund is knowing it is giving these kids an opportunity to join their fellow classmates in such a wide range of activities in a setting outside of the classroom, in more of a social setting.

“I think it is so important because it helps to break down social barriers which exist purely because of the cost of such activities outside of school.”

And Cox points out, “I think that all of us feel the same way about the great support the Koko Fund offers to those families in need to allow all children the opportunity to experience extracurricular activities that enrich their lives and create everlasting memories.”

Adds Vunk, “The greatest reward is when these Koko kids, years from now, still talk about how much fun they had at Rambling Pines or dance lessons or rec camp. Koko is so important because our community is so diverse, and we want to ensure that all kids have the same opportunities.”

All of those involved in the fund are also fully aware of the fund’s need for financial support. Help is available from individuals and organizations, but it is an ongoing concern.

As Ginsberg points out, “One of the Koko Fund’s greatest assets is the generosity of folks in our community who support the fund’s efforts. One of the fund’s greatest obstacles is that it has to depend on those folks’ generosity over and over. The fund’s greatest need is to identify and nurture sustainable sources of financial support.”

Annual Fundraisers

Arnold points out another challenge Koko faces. “The lack of public or affordable transportation restricts quite a number of camp options for some children,” he says. “If they don’t live within walking distance of the clubs or camps we offer, it can be difficult.”

Annual fundraisers are held to supplement the financial resources, and an upcoming event will take place on Wednesday, May 29 at the Ivy Inn at 6 p.m. Open to the public, it will include music from the All-Star Alumni JP Parent Band, and a cash bar.

“We look forward to this being a big success, as our fundraisers are so important to the ongoing Koko mission,” says von Roemer. “I feel so blessed to be part of such an amazing fund. The most rewarding aspect of having been co-chair is knowing that a child’s life will be positively impacted. It is truly wonderful to help share the art of dance with students who would otherwise be unable to participate. To know that the fund helps provide lessons so a child can learn to swim is such a great reward. Being able to lend a hand to fellow Johnson Park School families makes it so worthwhile.”

In fact, the Koko Fund has been successful on many levels, including imparting lifelong benefits to the students who participate. As Henderson reflects, “The Koko Fund not only gives kids wonderful experiences to help make happy memories of their childhoods, it also gives our kids the opportunity to dream of future possibilities. I am so proud to be a part of this wonderful endeavor.”

New Passions

And here are some observations from JP Koko Fund alumni:

“The Koko Fund gave me the opportunity to find new passions and find new interests that I probably would not have been able to experience due to not having the money to afford the programs.”
“The Koko Fund helps dismantle barriers for lower income students.”

“When I was a student at Johnson Park, I found that I really loved to draw, and I was able to take an art class. To this day, I still remember the techniques I learned in that class as a kid. The Koko Fund helped me develop into the creative individual that I am.”

And perhaps especially meaningful is the Fund’s effect on the parents of students who have been able to expand their horizons through the Fund. One parent whose children attended after-school activities and summer camp with the aid of the fund says, “My kids enjoy and appreciate the opportunities the Koko Fund helped to provide financially over the past few years. I don’t know what I would do if the program was not a part of our lives. My kids would not be able to be a part of the great summer programs which offer academics and lots of summer fun if it wasn’t for the Koko Fund.

“I don’t want my kids to say, ‘We can’t do or not be part of this activity because we can’t afford it.’ With the Koko Fund, every child can feel as if they are part of something. My family and I are grateful to have such a wonderful thing in our lives, and we are grateful to those who provide and help keep it running.”

For more information about the Koko Fund and the upcoming fundraiser, contact Deidre von Roemer and Philip Arnold via email at dbvonroemer@hotmail.com and pia.arnold@gmail.com. A link for information on donations is at https://bit.ly/Donate2KOKO.