A personal message from Liz Plachta – Ruby’s Rainbow President and Executive Director, and her most important job: Ruby’s Mama.

When I started this organization shortly after Ruby was born, I had a goal of raising just ONE $2,000 scholarship for a college student with Down syndrome. I didn’t even know if people with Down syndrome were going to college, but I was determined to find that ONE person who was, and to help make reaching their goal just a little easier.

Come to find out, there are hundreds of people with Down syndrome attending programs all over the nation who are going for their dreams of higher education and independence! As a mom of a younger daughter with Down syndrome, it has been amazing to have a front-row seat to some of their accomplishments.

To our amazement, that first year – 2012 – we were able to grant scholarships to not just one but 11 people rockin’ that extra chromosome…and the number of Rockin’ Recipients has grown every year since! As of Fall 2022, we have been able to grant 599 scholarships totaling $2,044,000 to well over 400 Rockin’ Recipients…and counting!

After volunteering my time to Ruby’s Rainbow while also working full-time for the first four years of the organization’s existence, Ruby’s Rainbow grew enough to allow me to step away from my full-time job and focus all my efforts on growing the organization, in order to help as many people as we could to access the post-secondary educational opportunities of their dreams. Thus, in 2016, I came on as Ruby’s Rainbow’s Executive Director, and we’ve continued expanding and developing as an organization ever since.

Another huge part of what we do is using videos, Rockin’ Recipient updates and social media to raise awareness about just how cool and capable people with Down syndrome truly are. Some of my favorite emails are from new moms who have said that seeing the faces of our Rockin’ Recipients on our website and reading their stories gave them hope for the future of their own children. We strongly believe that raising expectations of people with Down syndrome is a vital part of acceptance, inclusion and helping them rise to their full potential.

I am the proud mama of two daughters, Ella Mae and Ruby, but Ruby’s Rainbow is like another child to me. I am so passionate about our mission, and I hope that you feel confident that your donations are being utilized to the fullest in order to benefit people with Down syndrome through scholarship funds and awareness of just how amazingly capable they are!!!

While we continue to seek corporate sponsors, it will always be the kind and generous hearts of people like YOU that drive Ruby’s Rainbow – and we are SO GRATEFUL!

From the bottom of our hearts…THANK YOU!!