The entire country was shocked to wake up March 26th to news and images of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. There was a construction crew with 8 men on the bridge at the time the ship hit.. 2 of the men were found in their truck at the bottom of the bay. Another 2 were rescued that morning. The other 4 men are presumed dead and they expect to find them buried in ruble at the bottom of the bay..
Just over a week later nonprofit organizations Kids' Chance of Maryland (KCMD) are stepping up to provide scholarships to the children of the 6 men. CBS reports that one of the men had a teenage son and 5 year old daughter. Another was described as a father to 3 step children whose wife had just welcomed their first child together. Another man as said to have been a dad of 3.
KCMD, led by Executive Director Andrea Ball, believes there is a need to provide immediate financial relief for the families who lost loved ones in the collapse. "There's the immediate pain of losing your dad. Then there's the long term disadvantage of growing up fatherless. These kids need our help if they're going to have a shot at making it. We are working on getting them father figures through Big Brothers. We also want to help them financially so they can still dream about their future and then have a chance to go after it".
They’re planning on awarding scholarships tailored to the individual needs of each recipient up to $12-thousand per year.
In addition to the scholarship efforts, lawmakers are pushing for legislation to provide emergency relief, including measures to limit tax exposure for families receiving donations and gifts. Through these combined efforts, the community hopes to address the immediate needs of the affected families and make sure their children can succeed in the future.