Get Up & Live: A Tribute to Zachary Ciperski
Live every day to fullest. That was the mindset of beloved employee and friend of Elite, Zachary Ciperski. Whether it was visiting over 55 countries or giving back to the communities he loved, Zach’s wanderlust spirit and generous nature always inspired others to do more. Zachary’s spirit has continued to inspire the Elite family to serve after his untimely passing last year.
Zachary was my first boss at Elite and the reason behind why I am fortunate to be a part of this company that has become more than just a job to me. His mentorship and ability to inspire others, many of whom he never even met, led me to think that we as an Elite family could do more.
A supporter of a number of non-profit organizations, his travel adventures brought him to Nicaragua, where he connected with Fabretto and its Education Centers in the most underserved communities. The experience impacted him greatly and motivated him to work for change for the children he had met.
After his trip to Nicaragua, Zachary became a dedicated supporter and advocate for Fabretto’s mission. He donated to support Fabretto’s programs, became a Child Sponsor, and shared his passion for the cause with his co-workers, friends, and family.
This past year, in loving memory of Zachary, Elite renamed its philanthropy efforts to “Get Up and Live.” Formerly known as Elite Cares, our focus is to spread Zachary’s generosity and kindness to others. We are working closely with Fabretto to continue to do more. Our digital marketing teams are providing Fabretto with pro-bono SEM and SEO services through Google Grants, building on the work Zachary started with them many years ago.
We aren’t stopping there. The Elite family has spent this past year volunteering in their respective cities in Zachary’s name. Our volunteer hours have included Kidney Foundation awareness walks, beach clean ups, animal shelter volunteering, making dinner for families at the Hope Lodge and the Ronald McDonald House, and more. Already in 2015, the Elite team has given back over 500 hours of service to their local communities.
One of our most important projects launches in February 2016, the Zachary Ciperski Library in San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua will provide over 150 children on a daily basis and 15 teachers. It will have storage for over 3,000 books, igniting a new world of possibility in these young lives.
The Elite team has continued fundraising throughout the year, selling custom t-shirts to raise additional funds for this project (see image, above). Designed in bright orange to bring awareness to Kidney disease, the shirt features a laughing Buddha, a supreme symbol of joy and well-being and vision of happiness and a nod to Zachary’s Buddhist faith. The tagline “Don’t Worry Be Happy” is also included on the shirt. Above all, Zachary’s goal in life was to live passionately and always be happy.
We hope this shirt inspires you to live a full life each and every day and above all, be happy.
If you’re interested in ordering a shirt to support our efforts to build the Zachary Ciperski Library, please contact [email protected].
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