Daniel A. Schryer
Dan is a real estate and technology investor with offices in Dallas and the Silicon Valley. He came to know Robert Bellinger when Robert's Fund financed several projects for Dan's company, DCI Technology Holdings. Dan was inspired by Robert's founding of RTP, and was excited to become involved. More important, he was eager to have his twin daughters Casey and Jeannie volunteer. Dan explains, "Until this opportunity came along I had never really given much thought about giving my time to support a cause while, at the same time introducing my children to an opportunity to help others."
After Dan made his gift to RTP's endowment, he and the twins flew from the West Coast in order to be a part of the program first hand. They volunteered for a day during the spring 2009 Germantown Block Build, and also toured several homes to get a broad sense of the volunteers' work. When they arrived on site on April 4 they were swiftly embraced by the Gung Ho! house management team. House Captain Judy Meier took the girls under her wing and put them to work painting. According to Jeannie, they made their task into a game. "Chipping off the old paint was like getting rid of the enemy. Putting on the new paint was like improving the world."
Kathy Seweryn (a member of the Gung Ho! crew) and Dan worked side by side at the house, giving Dan the opportunity to learn more about RTP and about Steve Seweryn's legacy. Dan describes the day's events as "One of the most rewarding things that I've ever done. I particularly enjoyed meeting Kathy and being part of the special day for her and her family. Gung Ho! is a close group of friends, and they were welcoming and fun to be around. I highly recommend that parents consider sharing experiences like this with their children."
When they returned home, Jeannie and Casey made a presentation to their classmates, relating their activities and how they felt about what they'd done. While in Philadelphia they had a chance to make a quick trip to Independence Mall; visiting the Liberty Bell was poignant complement to volunteering. Reflecting on her travels, Casey says, "We took a long plane trip, but it felt short because of the good feeling we had inside."
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