The Garygene Leon Jefferson Memorial Fund

Garygene Leon Jefferson was the first youth facilitator of JAIA YOUth. From 2012 to 2014, he led JAIA workshops for his peers in New York City and internationally. An accomplished artist, musician, and motivational speaker, he passed away from Burkitt's Lymphoma on September 29, 2015. 

In celebration of Garygene Leon Jefferson's life, we have created the Garygene Leon Jefferson Memorial Fund to bridge the financial gap and provide opportunities for deserving youth to contribute to achieving their educational or professional dreams. We begin fundraising in memoriam of Garygene on August 20th (his birthday) and complete the effort on September 29th (the day of his passing).

His final words to his aunt, Tia Gena, the founder and executive director of JAIA, were, "Please don't give up on JAIA because the youth needs it. And don't forget the boys." In his honor, Tia Gena established a fundraising event to uphold his legacy, ensuring that funds are available for scholarships, programs, and operational costs for JAIA.