2024 Jen+Tonic Polo Event: A Celebration of Education
The Robotics Pavilion presented by Humtown Products. Each year, this aspect of the Jen + Tonic continues to grow and be a highlight of the event!!
Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters,
As I sit down to write this, my heart is full of gratitude and emotion. The 2024 Jen+Tonic Polo Event has once again proven to be a testament to the power of community, the importance of education, and the enduring legacy of my sister, Jenifer R. Powers-Fruit.
This year's event was nothing short of extraordinary (less, the rain showers that dampened the polo match). Thanks to the incredible generosity of our attendees, sponsors, polo players, and especially the scholastic robotics programs, we raised close to $20,000.
PHOTO: Allison and Eric Oltmann of Bush Heating present an award check to the Columbiana Robotics Program
The Impact of Your Support
Your contributions over the years have made a tangible difference in the lives of students across our community:
We've supported over 12 STEM/Robotics Programs with over $50,000 in total grants, including (1) Reimbursing for new Robotics Equipment, (2) Supporting teams traveling to World Championships in VEX and FIRST Robotics, (3) Aiding the launch of the East Palestine High School Robotics program, and (4) Expanding various programs to the middle school level.
These achievements are a testament to Jen's belief in the transformative power of education, a belief that our parents, Mark and Cindy, etched into our lives at a young age.
The Austintown Falco Tech Robotics program has been a key partner for the Jen + Tonic event since 2018.
Remembering Jen
As many of you know, Jen was more than just my sister. She was a mentor, a friend, and a beacon of hope for so many. Two quotes from "The West Wing" always remind me of her:
“Education is the silver bullet. Education is everything. We don’t need little changes; we need gigantic, monumental changes. Schools should be palaces. Competition for the best teachers should be fierce; they should be making six-figure salaries. Schools should be incredibly expensive for government and absolutely free of charge to its citizens, just like national defense. That's my position. I just haven't figured out how to do it yet.”
- Sam Seaborn
Jen lived this belief every day. She saw education as the key to improving not just individual lives but entire communities.
The second quote speaks to Jen's incredible ability to help others:
"This guy's walking down a street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by, and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you, can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along, and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole; can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then, a friend walks by. 'Hey Joe, it's me. Can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before, and I know the way out.'"
- Leo Mcgarry to Josh Lyman (my favorite!)
This was Jen. No matter how deep the hole you found yourself in, she would jump right in with you because she knew the way out.
PHOTO: Pictured with the Columbiana Middle School Robotics Program are Tim Figley of Teamwork Consulting and Mark Lamoncha of Hometown. Tim and Mark authored The Industrial Athlete, an operating system that outlines how to shift industry and manufacturing from a workplace to a performance center.
Looking to the Future
As we celebrate another successful Jen + Tonic Polo Event, we're not just honoring the past – we're investing in the future. The students learning and innovating today will be the ones solving the problems of tomorrow. Horace Mann once said, "In a republic, ignorance is a crime." As a society, we should all commit to being lifelong learners, just like Jen was. There are no excuses not to keep growing, learning, and pushing ourselves to be better.
To everyone who attended, sponsored, played, or supported this event in any way – thank you. You're not just keeping Jen's memory alive; you're helping to build the kind of world she dreamed of – one where education opens doors, lifts people up, and brings communities together.
Hear’s to Jen, to education, and to all of you who make this possible year after year.
May the Road Rise to Meet You…
Justin Powers
