Gabe Zimmerman Scholarship Funds established

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Jonathan Klein, a partner in a San Francisco law firm, and Alex Clemens, a former political aide in the first Clinton administration, both alumni of Gabriel Zimmerman's alma mater, the University of California at Santa Cruz, have set up a scholarship fund in his honor for a student who shares his passion for public service. Scholarship fund set up in honor of slain Giffords aide:

Klein and Clemens were classmates at Santa Cruz, where Zimmerman received his undergraduate degree in sociology in 2002 before enrolling in Arizona State University for a master's degree in social work.

As they have been fixated this week on news of the shooting, the friends decided to propose a scholarship to the university's Department of Social Sciences. The winner would be a financially needy student committed to a career in public service or social justice. The department would administer the awards.

First, Klein and Clemens believed they needed the go-ahead from Zimmerman's family. Klein reached Zimmerman's younger brother, Ben, a doctoral student at Brandeis University, in Tucson after many inquiries for a phone number. He acknowledged that he was a little nervous, calling a stranger.

"But he said, 'Go for it,' " Klein said. "I told him, not only should Gabe be remembered, but we need to do something more than that.''

The scholarship fund has a new page on Facebook. Tax-deductable donations can be made to http://gabrielzimmermanfund.chipin.com, a Web site that collects money for causes like this one, or directly to the university. (Donors to this site should specify the Gabe Zimmerman Scholarship Fund).

"We're going to kick down the door to let everyone know that honoring this young man would be a good thing to do," Clemens said.

UPDATE: A second local Gabe Zimmerman Scholarship Fund has been established. 2 funds set up in memory of aide:

The family has set up a fund in Gabe Zimmerman's name at Child & Family Resources, where he served on the board.

"It's an incredible tragedy that such a young life was snuffed at its prime," said a statement from Eric Schindler, president of Child & Family Resources. "Gabe was an old soul in a young man's body who was a real special treasure for Tucson."

Donations can be made online at www.childfamillyresources.org or mailed to Child & Family Resources, 2800 E. Broadway, Tucson, AZ 85716. For more information, call 321-3778 or e-mail donationsforgabe@cfraz.org.

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Zimmerman also had a master's degree from the Arizona State University School of Social Work, and the school's Tucson branch will hold a memorial for him next week.

The event begins at 11 a.m. Monday in the courtyard of the Sentinel building, 320 N. Commerce Park Loop.

For more information, call 884-5507, Ext. 10.