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Greg's Gang
When Paul Weiss started his ministry to children in 1974, he was not alone. A dozen or so friends helped start the organization which ultimately became Children of The Americas. At the very center of the founding group was Paul's family which included 5 childen, the youngest of whom was Gregory John.
During their growing up years, all the Weiss children helped with the endless mailings of newsletters, collecting of food, clothing and toys and working in Mexico alongside more than 20,000 volunteers who would ultimately travel there to relieve the unbelievable misery of little children. And once a year for many years, Greg would walk with hundreds of marathon walkers on the Tortilla Marathon, a 180-mile walk from Santa Barbara to Tijuana, to raise money for food for hungry children. Greg's direct helping of our kids extended into his late 20's.
He met Barbara Scott and they were married in September, 2001. Two weeks later, he awoke in a seizure in the middle of the night. He was soon diagnosed with a brain tumor, a glioblastoma, the deadliest tumor on the planet, one that offered only a 10-month average survival. Greg was 33-years-old when he received what was to be a death sentence.
Nurtured by Barbara and his family and friends and by his own heroic spirit, Greg broke all records and survived 22 months! And he didn't just survive; he lived every day of those 22 months! A sign in Greg and Barbara's kitchen summed up their approach to this greatest challenge of their lives: "Never, never, never -- give up!"
In honor of our youngest founder, we invite everyone to join Greg's Gang, a scholarship fund in perpetuity. That is, the principal will never be touched; scholarhips aimed at the neediest children in The Americas will be paid out of interest only. Greg had a real thirst for education and helping children advance their learning is something that was close to his heart.
Our hope is that our regular supporters will view Greg's Gang as an additional way to support our kids. Any gifts may be made payable to Greg's Gang or to Children of The Americas with a notation for Greg's Gang.
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