NSU Horizons Spring 2017

37 NSU HORIZONS Rebecca and Jonathan Bratter, and their sons, Logan, 11, and Max, 7, believe in a hands-on approach to volunteer- ing, especially through their Kids Can Foundation. The family spent a sunny Saturday, left, at the David Posnack Jewish Community Center helping make lunches for the homeless. “After the first year, the money raised was divided among the five board members and each kid got to decide where their allotment would go,” Jonathan Bratter said. “They were able to see what they did and the difference they made, which was very cool.” For Logan, that meant sharing his love of the violin with children who might not be able to afford lessons. With his money from the foundation, he was able to create two scholarships at NSU University School for students to receive violin lessons. The foundation continues to grow, holding monthly events and always finding new ways for children to get involved and volunteer. Their main philanthropic event for adults, a Moms Night Out that originally started with a few women at a restaurant, is now a full-blown gala with a few hundred people and corporate sponsors. This year, the event underwent a name change, in part to entice men to join in: The Fourth Annual Fund the Scholarships Event and Casino Night at the Young at Art Museum was held in April. That success is what allowed them to create the Kids Can Endowed Fund for the Arts at NSU University School. “When we started talking about continuing to sponsor the lessons Logan started, we thought it would be nice if it could go on forever,” Rebecca Bratter said. “And, we wanted it to be broad in purpose, whether it was for music lessons, someone who wanted to be in the school play, or even speech and debate.” They established the fund in memory of Larry Robbins and Sheldon Willis, the grandfa- thers of Jonathan and Rebecca Bratter, and have committed to continuing to offer scholarships until the endowment is fully funded. As part of the require- ments for the endowment, a Kids Can Club is in the process of being established at the NSU University School Upper School. The high school students in the club will independently vet the candidates and choose the scholarship recipients. “We just feel it is so important, once you have all the basic necessities in life, to encourage children to be well-rounded and provide opportunities for them to participate in arts and after- school activities,” Rebecca Bratter said. As NSU graduates and passionate supporters of NSU University School, the Bratters said it was a natural choice to establish the fund there. “We thought our kids would go to public school. But when I toured NSU University School, I was so impressed. There was no going back. It has been amazing for our kids. They offer so much in technol- ogy and the arts that you just can’t find elsewhere,” Jonathan Bratter said. While Logan has his sights set on Columbia University when he goes to college, Max tells his parents he wants to stay closer to home and go to NSU. Both Rebecca and Jonathan Bratter are proud of what their kids are learning through the Kids Can Foundation. “We didn’t set out to change the world. We set out to make an example for our kids and make a difference in the community,” Rebecca Bratter said. “If the kids who have been involved with Kids Can live their lives differently than they otherwise would have, then our job is done.” n