Dear Friends,

 

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending LZF grantee partner Heart of a Giant Foundation’s (HGF) Champions Rise: 2025 Boston Community Walk, a free 1.2 mile walk and fundraiser held at Ryan Memorial Playground in Mattapan. 

The event also featured several vendor and wellness booths to educate attendees about cardiovascular health. One of the booths was hosted by Octavia Nankunda, co-founder and clinical director of P&O Behavioral Health Initiative (POBHI), a current LZF grantee partner that offers individuals from underprivileged and immigrant communities access to behavioral health services and resources. I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to see HGF and POBHI, who met at LZF’s Annual Awards Ceremony in 2023, collaborating with each other to support the members of their respective communities. At another booth hosted by Pressure Check, event attendees received free blood pressure screenings and were invited to participate in an 18-month blood pressure research study to address disparities in hypertension.

I also had the pleasure of meeting a woman named Michelle who had driven from Philadelphia to participate in the walk. When I asked Michelle about her connection with Heart of a Giant, she told me about her late twin brother who had donated his heart to HGF’s founder Bouba Dieme. Michelle and Bouba met for the first time last year at Heart of a Giant’s inaugural Boston Community Walk; the October walk is of personal significance to Bouba as it marks the anniversary of his heart transplant. 

And if all of that was not enough, Bouba and Octavia surprised me by presenting LZF with Heart of a Giant Champions Rise’s 2025 Community Champion Award!  

The Heart of a Giant’s community walk is a wonderful example of LZF's ability to bring our grantee partners together to learn from, collaborate with, and support one another. I feel lucky to have witnessed firsthand the positive impact HGF and POBHI had on those in attendance. I strongly encourage you to visit the grantee partner events calendar on LZF's website and attend a grantee partner event. Who knows who you might meet or what you might learn. 

In partnership and community, 

Allison E. Picott

Executive Director

LZF's 30th Anniversary Board Dinner

On September 25th, LZF hosted a special dinner for 49 current and emeriti board members and their guests to celebrate The Lenny Zakim Fund and 30 years of building bridges. In attendance were most of the founding board members, including Rob Sherman, who will be the last founding member to retire from the board at the end of this year. Since LZF’s founding in 1995, 62 people have served on LZF’s board, representing close to 600 years of combined service. We were also fortunate to have with us Jude Goldman who led LZF from 2006 to 2019. 

The evening included remarks from various individuals who reflected on LZF’s rich history. We recounted the founding of LZF, recalled key moments and the people who were critical to The Fund’s evolution and many successes, and recognized the many partnerships LZF has been honored to cultivate with nearly 400 grassroots organizations over the past 30 years. And, of course, we remembered our founder, Lenny, through laughter, tears, and a celebratory shot of tequila. 

Next year, we look forward to sharing with the LZF community a special video created in celebration of LZF’s 30th anniversary that will include some of these remarks in addition to interviews filmed during the board dinner. 

Support LZF in Style at our Fashion Show!

Join us for a fun and fashion filled evening hosted by NBC10 Boston's Glenn Jones on November 6th! Tickets are on sale NOW at the link below.

100% of proceeds go to supporting The Lenny Zakim Fund and grassroots organizations across Eastern Massachusetts. Thank you to our partners KB Fashion Productions and Simon Malls' Copley Place for providing LZF with this incredible opportunity to showcase our work.

Interested in sponsoring the event? Reach out to Carla Beaudoin here.

Stay home on November 17th to help us celebrate what would have been Lenny Zakim’s 72nd Birthday by making a gift to support grassroots change in Eastern Massachusetts. LZF relies 100% on the generosity of supporters like you. Thank you for making our work possible!

About The Lenny Zakim Fund



The Lenny Zakim Fund is a 501(c)(3) public, nonprofit organization that relies 100% on the generosity of our donors to support our annual operating budget, which includes our annual grants program. Since its founding in 1995, The Fund has awarded over $13 million in grants to nearly 400 grassroots organizations throughout eastern Massachusetts.

For more information, please visit www.thelennyzakimfund.org.