The first two scholarship awardees were able to join their school’s Girls on the Run program and gave back to their community by cleaning up Glenwood Elementary’s campus and planting flowers at the entrance. And the SKJAJA fun began!

The first decade SKJAJA was run by a group of dedicated volunteers and funded by the generosity of individuals and the local business community. The long-lasting PLAY it Forward program was envisioned and managed by a volunteer, Diana Hersh, who believed that people had instruments sitting in their closets that wanted to be played – and she was right. Funding was raised through local grants and events like the Beach Shack Boil, Color the Hill, Rock the Hill, Shack, Rattle & Roll, and car washes run by the high school SKJAJA Clubs. Charlotte split her time between managing SKJAJA and her design firm, White Space Creative. But, she could not have done it without the time, partnership, and generosity of board member, Sondra Komada. 

Besides the time and financial support Sondra and her family gave, she was the brains behind so many aspects of SKJAJA including the five-year community event, Color the Hill, and the high school SKJAJA Clubs. Sondra had been a high school counselor and she was instrumental in forming relationships and partnerships with the local schools. Sondra was also gifted at raising money, community awareness, and volunteer recruitment. She was passionate about SKJAJA and everyone she encountered became passionate and engaged, too.