Programs

The Sonny’s Kids Scholarship Essay Contest
Each year, Sonny’s Kids oversees a scholarship competition based on a topic chosen by the Sonny’s Kids Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors. The scholarship competition is announced annually at the Montgomery County Boys & Girls Club Holiday party celebrations in Silver Spring and Germantown, Maryland, which Sonny’s Kids sponsors. The scholarship awards are made in May each year, and the winners are awarded scholarships of $5,000, $2,500 and $1,000 to further their education.

To date, Sonny’s Kids Foundation has contributed $4,500 to underwrite the annual Holiday Party at the Montgomery County Boys & Girls Clubs in Silver Spring and Germantown; $18,000 in Annual Scholarships for students in grades 10-12; and $3,550 for writing contest awards to students in grades 1-9, for general scholarship awards to outstanding Boys & Girls Club alumni. A $500 contribution to Montgomery County Crime Solvers was made in Sonny’s memory.

The Sonny’s Kids G.E.D. Program at Mark Twain School
The Sonny’s Kids Foundation and the Mark Twain School of Montgomery County have joined forces to create the Sonny's Kids G.E.D. Prep Center. Sonny’s Kids provides grants to the School to help maintain operating expenses and computer hardware for their in-house G.E.D. program. The contributions have helped many young adults who, for a variety of reasons, have been unable to complete their high school educations via the G.E.D. program.

Headed by teacher Michael Walsh, the G.E.D. center is “the anti-classroom because it removes every barrier for success that are found in a typical classroom.” The center is the only one of its kind that focuses its efforts on young adults, and is currently using special learning software that will tailor itself to each individual student to provide needed help. Mr. Walsh works closely with each student to ensure his or her success and says that he will not send a student to take their G.E.D. if they are not ready. According to Walsh, “Failure is the last thing these kids need, so until they are sure of their own success, I will keep working with them.” Mr. Walsh is truly an inspiration as a person and as a teacher. We wish him and his students the best of luck everyday, and will continue to support them in anyway possible.

To date, Sonny’s Kids Foundation has contributed a total of $5,300 to the Mark Twain School G.E.D. Program.

Mt. Rogers School
Sonny’s Kids Foundation has contributed $2,500 in grants to continue a music program at the Mt. Rogers School in White Top, Virginia.

Sonny’s Kids Foundation, Inc. was formed as a Maryland non-profit corporation that is a public charitable organization under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Its Federal Employer Tax ID number is 05-0535125.