John,

For my wife Mary, the start of summer was always a little bittersweet.

On one hand, it meant spending more time with our family, enjoying hours in her garden and reading on the porch. On the other, it meant saying goodbye to the students at Sandy Hook Elementary, where she was the school psychologist.

She loved her job so much – she would do anything for her students. That's why she didn't think twice about running toward the sound of gunfire on Dec. 14, 2012. She gave her life to protect those kids.

Nothing can bring Mary back. And while summer is another painful reminder that she isn't with us, I can still honor her by dedicating my life to protecting children from gun violence.

Please join me in working to prevent the next tragedy. We're still falling short of our $70,000 fiscal year-end fundraising goal, so I'm personally asking you: Will you donate right now to help us reach our final goal of the fiscal year and protect more children from gun violence?

Please donate $10, or as much as you can, to Sandy Hook Promise before our fiscal year deadline at midnight tomorrow. Every dollar you give will go directly toward our work to prevent the next tragedy and protect more children from gun violence next year.

I still miss Mary each and every day – especially during the summer, when we'd slow down, relax by the lake and make plans for our future. That future was taken from us – but I like to think Mary is proud of how we're carrying on her legacy by coming together to do what she cared about most: helping and protecting children.

Your support of this work helps us do that, and it means more than I could ever express. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Bill Sherlach