Happy Spring to all. We are blessed to say that our modest staff of three has been incredibly busy with the three S's! Schools, speakers and students have filled our calendars, and we are happy to report that slowing down is not in our imminent future.

Since time is clearly of the essence lately, we have decided to publish our newsletter every other month going forward; continuing to highlight all things Tigger.

We hope you will continue to enjoy our feel good stories of hope, school news and tales from the Tigger office, along with our new design. As always, we thank our supporters, donors and friends who continue to help us in spreading our mission to fight addiction, spread awareness and save lives through drug prevention and education.  

Tigger Stavola Foundation gathered at Edgewater Beach Club on March 26th for the 4th Annual Polar Plunge to Freeze Addiction. Close to 280 participants came to plunge and help TSF spread their mission. Attendees enjoyed breakfast and shared stories of hope with new friends.

Matthew Toriello, a loving soul who lost his battle with substance use disorder was honored alongside Tigger. His sister, Kristen Sonnek-Smelz, of The MTT Memorial Fund, spoke of his beautiful life and unique gift of making everyone feel valued.

Executive Director, Andrea LeLand, kicked off the program; she spoke of Tigger, his obstacles amidst a beautiful life, and how the Foundation uses his name in hopes of educating the community. Shawn Metz, local advocate, then mesmerized the crowd with tales of his personal struggles and how he turned his life around.

Before plunging, participants placed a stone on the beach to form an oversized heart in the sand. Each stone had a personal message or name of someone who was struggling. Stones were provided by the Blaikie family in honor of their daughter Gabrielle Block.

The Foundation was honored to have tremendous support on the beach this year and looks forward to next year.

Initial shock turned to immense gratitude for the Tigger Stavola Foundation when an oversized check from Shore to Help, with an even larger sum of $40,000 was awarded to the organization at a reception on March 2nd at Beach Tavern.

Shore to Help, located in Monmouth Beach, works hard to raise funds for local charities. The Turkey Bowl, held on Thanksgiving morning is their largest event, and the Tigger staff was happy to put their own turkeys on hold to attend. They spent the morning meeting new friends and enjoying the football games.

Executive Director, Andrea LeLand and Finance Manager, Rosanna Fazio were awarded the check. Fazio said, "We are so incredibly grateful to Ken Shaw of K Shaw Construction and the board members of Shore To Help for this incredibly generous donation”.

With donations like these, TSF can continue rolling out their middle school initiative. Thank you Shore To Help!

The Tigger Stavola Foundation was honored to receive the Nonprofit Organization of the Year award at the 2023 Eastern Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce’s Spinnaker Awards.

The Spinnaker Awards is the Chamber’s largest event that honors individuals and organizations that continuously prioritize community outreach and the art of giving back.

The sold-out event took place on March 22nd at the Park Loft in Oceanport. Executive Director, Andrea LeLand, spoke about the organization and introduced Founder Lisa Stavola to the crowd.

Mrs. Stavola received a standing ovation for her poignant and heartfelt words about her son, Tigger, his personal journey and the Foundation’s ongoing mission.

The Tigger staff was grateful to EMACC for shining a light on their work so they can continue to make a difference in the community.

On March 28th, The Tigger Stavola Foundation, along with the Ridge Road Alliance and The Source at RBR, held a Q & A forum on Fentanyl, Bullying and Mental Health at Red Bank Regional High School.

The speakers were impressive in their fields and gave both personal and legal insight into the extreme challenges facing our youth. Christopher Decker (Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor), Tim McMahon (Special Agent at the DEA), David Nash (Director of Legal Education and National Outreach for the Foundation of Educational Administration), and Susan Tellone (Clinical Director for the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide) answered questions from the audience. The Foundation was happy to see students, parents and caregivers attend and are thankful to all for sharing their evening with the local community.

The Tigger Stavola Foundation has been enjoying their monthly collaboration with KEYS Recovery High School at Brookdale. We look forward to spending the day with the students each month, and providing them with hands on activities and of course, drug education.

February:

TSF collaborated with Lincroft Music who taught rhythmic drumming. With no prior experience, the entire room was drumming in unison by the end of the hour! Many thanks to Cathy, our School Coordinator, who quickly created 18 "drums" from Lowe's buckets. Creativity certainly lives at our office. After lunch, Dr. Matt Bellace, presented on "natural highs" and techniques for coping with pain and failure. The feedback from students was incredible, and there were many post presentation questions.

In March, Thea from Just Bead Yourself taught about the healing power of crystals and helped each student create a bracelet from stones that they felt drawn to. She demonstrated how certain stones can help with physical strength.

TSF Founder, Lisa Stavola, spoke to the students about Tigger and how he would have benefited from a Recovery High School like KEYS. The students asked many questions about Tigger and there was not a dry eye in the room at the conclusion. We were grateful to have her with us on that day.

Lastly, Henry Eisenstein, a friend of the Foundation, spoke about positivity, the power of love and the importance of caring for yourself. He touched on success, proved that where you begin is not where you have to end and gave encouragement for all. Henry shared his personal story, which began with just one person having faith in him. The students were drawn to his energy and asked if he could return. He was touched and will certainly be back to KEYS.

Feb-23 Attended Monmouth County Schools Wellness Symposium at Brookdale College

Feb-24 Attended Monmouth County SAC Meetng

Mar-09 Attended ASAP NJ Conference in East Windsor

Mar-13 Sent out "Throw & Know" balls to 25 of our Partner High Schools to be used for National Drug & Alcohol Facts week Presentations

Mar-15 Visit with SAC Rebecca Groniger from Keyport HS to welcome her to TSF

Mar-16 New Egypt High School Zoom and initial collaboration

Mar-17 Shore Regional HS - Prepare TSF involvement for their Pre-Prom meeting in May

Mar-24 Attended presentation at Eisenhower Middle School to hear Mykee Fowlin

Mar-27 Dr. Bellace speaks at Christa McAuliffe MS & Jackson Liberty HS on behalf of TSF

Mar-28 Attend Walls "Night Out" Luminary Meeting - Agree to provide light up materials

Mar-29. Zoom with Keyport Superintendent to discuss panel for local parents

Mar-31 Zoom with Barnegat Middle School & High School

If you have any questions about attending or sponsoring future events, please email Andrea LeLand at andrea@tiggerstavolafoundation.org. It’s only through the generosity and participation of those in our community that we can host these events — with many more to come! 

For information on our Student Alliance Program, or to inquire about anything school related, please email Cathy Soya at alliance@tiggerstavolafoundation.org

To keep up to date with TSF programming and events, follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Support Tigger Stavola Foundation through one-time donations or monthly giving. Your donations help TSF continue our mission and grow our programs.

Need Support or Know Someone Who Does?

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction and you are seeking help, please reach out to us at 732-865-1559. We are here to offer support and provide a list of options so that you and your family can make the best choice together.

Want to Get Involved? 

TSF is always looking for volunteers who want to join the Foundation! If you are interested, please email Andrea LeLand at andrea@tiggerstavolafoundation.org