Scholarship Program Channels Community Love For Shannon Hubbard And Daughter

 Sometimes, in the shadow of unspeakable grief, something beautiful grows.

 The friends and family of Shannon and Maggie June Hubbard have created a special scholarship fund to help the families of young children afford child care and special educational opportunities. And so far, the fundraising effort is exceeding all expectations.

 The program honors Mrs. Hubbard, 35, who perished in a fire at a vacation rental in Clinton, N.Y., late on the night of Oct. 13 while trying to save her daughter and son. Mrs. Hubbard and 1-year-old Maggie June were claimed by the fire; husband John and 3-year-old Jack Hubbard survived the tragedy.

 The community rallied around the Hubbard family immediately after the emergency. A campaign organized by Boston radio host Greg Hill set a goal of $10,000 and ultimately raised nearly $250,000. Several other events contributed to the fund.

 Mrs. Hubbard’s father, Tim Waldron, recalled the awful phone call from hospital officials saying his daughter and granddaughter had been hurt and would not likely survive. Even as he and his wife digested the news while driving to New York, “I just sat there for a minute, and I said, we’ve got to do something to keep their names alive.”

Just a few months later, that something has become a registered nonprofit foundation focused on addressing a problem that was near and dear to Mrs. Hubbard’s heart: the high cost of early childhood education. 

Having previously taught first grade at Harwich Elementary School, Mrs. Hubbard had started work at Chatham Elementary last September, leading the school’s preschool program. But she also had a wide circle of friends who were parents from various walks of life, “and they all kind of suffered from the same thing,” Waldron said. They all struggled to pay for daycare tuition and early intervention learning expenses, often because they made too much money to qualify for government-subsidized programs. 

 Waldron said many local families are working multiple jobs and earning good money, but still can’t afford the high cost of living on Cape Cod, “and then, pile on top of that, the cost of early childhood education.” 

 Giving young children learning opportunities was something his daughter was passionate about, Waldron said.

 “One of the things she truly believed is that educators’ greatest impact can happen in those early intervention years,” he said. Particularly when a young child has challenges that are addressed when they are between 2 and 4 years old, “it’s so much more effective than when they get their help at 8, 9, 10 years old,” he said. 

 To that end, the Hubbards’ wide circle of friends have been raising money for the foundation, which is developing a website at www.AllMomsAreHeroes.com. A series of fundraisers have taken place and others are planned, like the “Mom Prom” organized by Mrs. Hubbard’s good friend Kathryn Giangregorio, scheduled for Feb. 22 in Hyannis. The event, a fun night out for mothers that will include a raffle and auction, quickly sold out all 250 tickets. Likewise, a benefit spin class held in Maggie June’s honor quickly sold out. A charity golf tournament is already scheduled for Oct. 6 at Ocean Edge, Waldron said.

Additional events are in the planning stages, and details will be posted on the foundation’s website and its social media pages.

 Contributions can be made online or sent to the Shannon and Maggie June Hubbard Scholarship, in care of the Cape Cod 5 Cents Savings Bank, Box 86, Orleans, MA 02653.

 The fundraisers have been the cooperative work of a wide group of friends, Waldron noted. 

 “It’s a cliche, but we really have been overwhelmed by all the support we’ve received from the community,” he said. At the memorial service, a number of parents came up and expressed the positive impact Mrs. Hubbard had made on their young children, which was very special to hear, he said.

 “Shannon’s reach was far greater than her mom and dad realized,” Waldron said.