Zandy Bard, a Cambridge native, tragically lost his life in January 2021 at the age of 32. As friends and family grappled with the news, his parents, Betsy and Joel Bard, and his sister Emilie heard new stories about Zandy’s compassion for and support of his many friends and acquaintances from neighborhoods all over his beloved city. They were moved to honor Zandy’s spirit by creating a new fund at CCF.
The hope for the Zandy Bard Fund is to offer opportunities for Cambridge young people by providing access to resources such as paid internships, classes or workshops, or other enriching experiences that will expand their vision of what’s possible for them. As Betsy likes to say, “You cannot be what you cannot see.” The Fund offers at least one stipend a year, with plans to add more, for a young person from Cambridge.
“From our years of working with CCF on different community initiatives, we felt CCF’s heartfelt commitment to opportunity for all aligns with the spirit our beloved son’s fund,” said Joel.
We’re pleased to announce the second recipient of the Zandy Bard Fund, Heinz Thomas-Vital, a 19-year-old who grew up in the Port neighborhood and still resides there with his family. Heinz got bit by the filmmaking bug while interning at Cambridge Community Television with the Office of Workforce Development’s Next Up program. During his internship, he has made his own short film about his favorite places in Cambridge and directed an episode of CCTV’s new series, Black Excellence Project. He’ll be taking on a paid internship with the Foundation and CCTV in April, helping to develop a series of short videos featuring people and groups tackling intractable, social problems in Cambridge. He follows Alfred Taylor, who held an internship at the Foundation last summer, working on the Falcon Pride Scholarship.
“It’s exciting to be working on this project,” said Heinz. “I have so many fond memories of growing up in Cambridge, it’s a special place for me. Getting to share the stories of Cambridge…it feels good!”
We’re incredibly thankful to the Bards for their generous support of Cambridge youth, and that of the many other donors, as well as the opportunity to work with Heinz as he gains more experience in film making and partners with us on an important project telling Cambridge’s impact stories. It’s opportunities like this—new experiences backed with support from our community—that can make a difference for our young people as they grow into their futures.
With gratitude to the many donors who have contributed to this fund, we invite additional support to continue backing opportunities for Cambridge youth for years to come. Donate now to the Zandy Bard Fund.
