The Sean M. Gannon Memorial Fund Awards Inaugural Grants

The Sean M. Gannon Memorial Fund of The Cape Cod Foundation recently awarded $3,000 in grants to five nonprofit organizations.

The fund was created to honor Sgt. Gannon, a K-9 officer with the Yarmouth Police Department, who was killed in the line of duty on April 12, 2018. Its mission is to promote education, health, and leadership by encouraging service through action.

“The community has been so kind and generous to our family. It’s time for us to give back,” said Dara Gannon, the officer’s wife. “This is just the beginning. We have plans for much more.”

The inaugural grant recipients are:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod & the Islands – $500
To support youth mentoring

Boys & Girls Club of Greater New Bedford – $500
To support its art education program

Stonehill College – $500
To provide financial assistance for student service trips

Westfield State University – $1,000
To support the “K9 Sgt. Sean Gannon Scholarship” for criminal justice students

YMCA Cape Cod – $500
To support its health, sports & recreation programs

“We are supporting things Sean cared deeply about,” said Dara Gannon.  “He grew up in New Bedford and attended Westfield State University.  Before coming to Yarmouth, he was a campus police officer at Stonehill College, chaperoned student service trips, and spent 3 years as a mentor in the local Big Brothers Big Sisters program.  He also loved being outside and valued health and fitness.”

For more information about the memorial fund, visit: www.gannonfund.org. For more information about The Cape Cod Foundation, call 508.790.3040 or visit www.capecodfoundation.org.  The Foundation is located at 261 Whites Path, Unit 2; South Yarmouth, MA 02664.