By: Eric Hoge – Vice President | Central Engineering
On June 18 last year, Zack Tupper—a member of Commonwealth’s Engineering team in Omaha, NE—tragically lost two of his children in a car accident. Alice “Ali” Tupper, 16, and Joseph “Joe” Tupper, 14, lived beautiful lives surrounded by friends, classmates, teammates, coaches, teachers, and family.
To honor the memory of Ali and Joe, Commonwealth created The Ali and Joe Tupper Camp Kitaki Foundation to annually sponsor two children to attend the YMCA Camp Kitaki in Louisville, NE. Camp Kitaki is a special place for the Tupper family, as Ali and Joe loved going to camp there. Their mother, Stephanie, was also a counselor there during her college years.
Camp Kitaki is a summer camp for youth ages 7-17.
Each summer, the camp welcomes nearly 3,000 youth to attend week-long overnight programs designed to allow kids to practice independence and grow self-confidence surrounded by positive role models in a unique outdoor setting.
“Ali and Joe Tupper personified the values we try to instill in our campers,” said Jason Smith, executive director at Camp Kitaki. “They will be remembered at Kitaki for the positive impact they had on their peers, and the world around them. Annually, these camperships will grow that legacy by sharing those values with kids just like Ali and Joe.”
Our Commonwealth family came together this past year to donate funds to The Ali and Joe Tupper Camp Kitaki Foundation, all of which was matched dollar-for-dollar by the company. As of this year, we have raised enough money to fund the two annual scholarships for the next 25 years, and we are very close to making it a perpetual scholarship.
This summer, the first two children were awarded the scholarships to attend camp: a rising eighth-grader at St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic School in Omaha, NE, where both Ali and Joe attended, and a rising sophomore at Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart in Omaha, where Ali attended. We are so glad to know that these two got to experience an unforgettable summer in their memory.
“We are honored to extend our support through the Ali and Joe Tupper Memorial Scholarship, enabling two young individuals to experience the joy of summer camp at Camp Kitaki,” said T Michael Price, president/CEO of Commonwealth. “It’s a meaningful way for us to remember and celebrate Joe and Ali’s lives while making a difference.”
Commonwealth is still actively fundraising and nearing the goal of raising enough money to ensure yearly camp scholarships continue in perpetuity. Interested parties can contact the Commonwealth Electric Corporate office at (402) 474-1341. We are so grateful to all who have donated to the Ali and Joe Tupper Camp Kitaki Foundation, and we look forward to helping provide this opportunity for years to come.
