South Jersey Charter School Students Remember Benefactors Killed One Year Ago
By David Madden
CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- One year ago this weekend, Philadelphia philanthropist Lewis Katz and six others were killed in a plane crash in New England.
Students at one of the two charter schools he started in Camden planted butterfly bushes to honor him and another victim of that accident, the woman who helped bring those schools to life.
Marcy Dalsey was board chairman at the schools that now bear both her name and Katz's. Those bushes were her favorites, according to staffers, and will stand as a lasting reminder of her love for her work.
"This was her pride and joy was Camden." said Grace Dalsey, one of Marcy's daughters. "It's a very interesting place for somebody to say they want to change and commit to their whole life."
This campus, in the Rosedale section, along with another in Parkside, together serve some 320 kids, kindergarten through 4th grade.
Katz was more than just a financial benefactor. He was a steady presence at both schools and worked within Camden's charter school network.