Area Foundation helps education fund energize an underprivileged school district
Tens of thousands of dollars have poured into a small school district in Bexar County over the past three years, building up students and teachers academically and giving them new hope for the future.
It’s exactly what John Hayes would have wanted, say his wife, Amy, and daughter, Hayden Hayes Pedrotti.
Ever since John died unexpectedly in 2023, Amy and Hayden have continued his legacy of caring, community, and expanding opportunities at Somerset Independent School District. The John Hayes Fund for Education honors the memory of a loving husband, devoted dad, and longtime community leader, including as a San Antonio Area Foundation board member.
“John taught us a lot about service, and after he passed, we kept asking ourselves, ‘Who’s going to care about Somerset?’” Amy said. “The answer became clear: We are. Our family, friends, community, business associates, pickleball friends, and people who loved John have all come together to continue his legacy.”
John became involved with Somerset ISD when he began working on a real estate development in the area. He noticed the school district’s difficulties, including scarce and outdated technology in classrooms and a very high percentage of economically disadvantaged families. John realized those struggles were holding students back from their highest potential, and he wanted to help. So, he rolled up his sleeves and dove in.
He offered both time and money to support the district—donating land and seed money for Somerset Intermediate School for fifth and sixth graders as well as becoming a founding member and vice president of the Somerset Education Foundation, which helps provide scholarships for students and grant funding for teachers.
During the unprecedented time of the pandemic, John also supported Somerset in creative and unexpected ways, helping the district launch a voluntary weekly COVID testing program for students and staff to help keep schools safe. Because many students did not have computers or internet access at home, virtual school often wasn’t an option. John believed wholeheartedly that access to a good education was key to a successful future, and he worked tirelessly to open as many doors as possible for Somerset students.
“John grew up with not much at all; he lived in government housing and was the first in his family to attend college,” Amy said. “He put himself through college, and I wonder if his acts of service and his love for this community had a lot to do with his childhood.”
“For my mom and I, it’s about keeping Dad’s legacy alive through things he cherished. We wanted to continue what he started,” Hayden said. “The Area Foundation has held our hand and continues to support us. There’s no way we could do this without them. They helped us turn our grief into action.”
Making a Difference
The way Amy tells the story, John loved pickleball almost as much as he loved Somerset ISD.
“There was a time when I was better than him, but that didn’t last,” she said with a laugh. “He loved pickleball. That’s why we decided to do a little tournament [as a fundraiser]. I didn’t think it would blow up and be as big a deal as it has become.”
In fact, the goal was to raise $50,000 the first year of the annual John Hayes Memorial Pickleball Tournament in 2024, but they ended up raising more than $230,000. “It showed us how many people wanted to be part of John’s legacy as well as make a difference in education,” Amy said. In the not-so-distant future, she expects to establish a million-dollar endowment in John’s name.
Amy and Hayden have poured that money back into Somerset ISD through recurring student scholarships and by supporting first-year educators with money to offset out-of-pocket classroom expenses. The duo also funds multiple Innovative Teacher Grants each year.
“We asked, ‘Where can we make a bigger impact with more kids and teachers? Where can we affect more change?’” Amy said. The answer, she determined, was funding teacher grants for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, which benefit dozens of students per year and hundreds of kids over time. In just three years, the John Hayes fund has awarded 17 Innovative Teacher Grants for a total of more than $40,000. That’s in addition to the grants funded by the Somerset Education Foundation.
“Like any organization, we set a budget, and we have to stay within that budget for grants and scholarships,” said Susie Pool, the executive director of the Somerset Education Foundation. “We fund what we can, but over these past few years, the John Hayes Fund for Education has enhanced our programs because Amy continues to fund scholarships over and above what we’ve already put in place. Without what they’re doing, those other grants just wouldn’t happen. We’re grateful for the support and so happy that Amy and Hayden are continuing John’s legacy, because he loved Somerset.”
One of John’s favorite events was the Somerset Education Foundation’s annual Surprise Patrol, which he attended every year. At the event, a bus full of board members, grant committee members, donors, and district leadership—along with high school cheerleaders and band members leading a pep rally–style celebration—drives around to schools in Somerset to deliver enormous checks to teachers who receive grants. Now, the Surprise Patrol can give out even more checks, thanks to the John Hayes fund.
When Amy and Hayden attended the event for the first time, they called it “electrifying.”
“I was crying,” Hayden said. “It was unbelievable seeing the kids go wild when their teachers got a grant. … The teachers wouldn’t be able to do the program they applied for without this money.”
She also emphasized how these programs can fundamentally change a community.
“Teachers can change [students’] lives and trajectories,” said Hayden, who is a former kindergarten teacher and now helps kids learn to read through her mom’s tutoring business. “When we’re pouring into our education system and have teachers who care and make a difference and foster a sense of community, the kids want to come back and be part of the change.”
A Little Help Along the Way
Amy and Hayden prefer to focus their attention on fundraising events rather than working on administrative duties for the John Hayes Fund for Education. So, they have relied on the San Antonio Area Foundation to handle those responsibilities.
“I have such a high level of trust with the Area Foundation because John served so many years on their board,” Amy said. “Even with our pickleball tournament—we’ve asked them to do things they’re not used to doing, and they find a way to make it happen.”
“My dad’s involvement with Somerset was not occasional or for recognition. He privately invested his time, resources, leadership, and heart in the district for many, many years. He loved Somerset deeply. He believed in its students, its teachers, and its community’s future,” Hayden said. “The John Hayes Fund for Education is our way of continuing to show up for the community he loved so much. He was a true champion for Somerset. Every scholarship, classroom grant, new teacher we support, and student we encourage is another way of carrying my dad’s love and legacy forward.”
A life well lived can continue to make a difference. Contact the Area Foundation to learn more about memorial funds that honor someone you love and carry their legacy forward.
Ashley Festa is a freelance writer and member of the San Antonio Area Foundation’s Storytelling Ambassador Network.
