In 2018 tragedy struck both the Sloan Family and our community at large. Jacob Sloan, a local twelve year old boy known for his positive attitude, passed away in a car accident. In the months following the tragedy, Jake’s older brothers, Christopher and Danny, encouraged their parents, Mary and Pete, to start a foundation to help preserve Jake’s memory and to carry on his mission of making our community a better place. They founded The Jacob Sloan Foundation, and incredibly, have managed to raise over 160,000 dollars for various local nonprofits and community organizations over the course of just a few years. Mary Sloan, a member of Power of 100: Chesapeake Women Who Care, is emblematic of what makes women on the Shore so amazing. She took a tragedy and found a way to better her community while helping keep her son’s memory alive.

At the young age of twelve, Jake had already developed a big personality- and an even bigger reputation for being kind to others. Jake’s parents say he left his house everyday with the intent to make a difference. “Jake was the first to welcome new students to school and to ensure that nobody ate lunch alone,” Mary remembers,  “His infectious smile was contagious. He would send messages of motivation to students each morning before school.” If you want to see just how much of an impact Jake made on our community, visit the “Jake’s Story” page on their web site (https://www.jacobsloanfoundation.com) where you’ll find dozens of letters written to the family describing the wonderful and memorable experiences locals had with Jake.

Since creating the foundation in 2019, the Sloan family has given out over 40 grants totalling over 160,000 dollar – a truly astounding amount to be raised in just a few years. They have given grants to local organizations like Haven Ministries and The Kinera Foundation, as well as to local summer camps, food banks and sports teams.

On Friday, September 9th, the Jacob Sloan Foundation is holding their fourth annual golf tournament. The event will feature games, raffles, BBQ, drinks and more! You can learn more, register or become a sponsor by visiting https://www.jacobsloanfoundation.com.

From time to time, Mary will still run into a fellow, local parent or teacher who has kind words to say about Jake. “People I hardly even know will just come up to me in the store and say, ‘You have no idea how your child affected my child. He befriended my kid when no one else would.’” Even if the Sloan family hadn’t founded the foundation, Jake’s legacy would still live on, as would the differences he made in our community. “Growing up, Jake always wanted to be a minister,” his mom shares, “I know he is up in heaven, ministering, guiding and watching over us.”

If you would like to learn more about the Jacob Sloan Foundation, visit their website at https://www.jacobsloanfoundation.com.