Justice Max Baer Memorial Fund Community Impact

Justice  Max Baer helped found the Allegheny County Music Festival Fund in 2000 to offer Children and Youth in the court system life-enriching opportunities that existing government funds don't cover. For over 20 years the fund has sent kids to camps, paid for college visits, purchased musical instruments, and countless other beneficial investments in the lives of the children who need them most in our community. On December 24th, 2023 (what would have been Justice Baer's 76th Birthday), our fund made its first donation of $40k to support the Allegheny Musical Festival Fund. 

The Families 4 Children is a part of the Office of Children and Families in the Courts. Stakeholders from all over Pennsylvania meet throughout the  year to help children find extended family members who can care for them rather than having them enter the foster care system without support. The program then works with the families to support and encourage the children's success in life. The Justice Max Baer Memorial Fund will be offering a minimum of four, two-year scholarships every other year at the bi-annual Summit. If you would like your donation to be earmarked for the scholarships specifically please indicate in the comments when submitting payment.

Chief Justice Max Baer Youth Scholarship

The inaugural Chief Justice Max Baer Youth Scholarships were presented

to seven exceptional recipients during the 2026 Chief Justice Max Baer

Children’s Summit in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on April 22, 2026.

Scholarship awardees included:

Rasheemah Guess: Philadelphia County

Adriana Termine: Chester County

Alayshia Williams: Lackawanna County

Maria Rosales: Fayette County

Lilly Warmijak: Schuylkill County

Mackenzie Nichols: Crawford County

Libby Stevens: Wyoming County

These young women, all former foster youth in Pennsylvania's Child

Dependency System, were selected from a large pool of nominations.

Youth were nominated by legal and child welfare professionals from across

the Commonwealth.

Joining the recipients were a number of supporters, including family,

friends, and, in one instance, a college professor.

Each youth shared comments regarding their life experiences, the

importance of the scholarship, and their future educational plans. Their

stories of success and future plans brought standing ovations throughout

the evening and underscored Chief Justice Baer’s dedication and focus on

the importance of helping young people thrive.

Your tax-deductible contribution can help us sponsor a variety of programs that benefit the Children and Youth of Pennsylvania, just as Justice Baer worked throughout his career to do. No donation is too small, and every dollar counts.

Join our team of dedicated volunteers and make a difference in your community. Whether it's helping with the golf outing setup, volunteering day-of, or providing support, we need your help.

Help us raise awareness about our cause by sharing our mission with your friends and family. Follow us on social media and invite others to join our community.