(Ludlow Register-Chicopee Register-Wilbraham/Hampden Times)
The worst imaginable thing for any parent would be having to endure the loss of their child.
Mike Jan Kuzdal was a stand-up guy by all accounts. If he hadn’t been, his family would not have created a Foundation in his name nor would there be so many supporters for its cause. As his mother says on their Facebook page, “After his untimely passing we decided to start a non-profit Foundation so his ‘giving spirit’ could live on.” The Foundation is just two years old but growing with the dedication of family and friends.
Joseph Hutchison III and Mike, though cousins were like brothers. Both grew up as only children with their divorced mom’s. After Mike passed unexpectedly in March of 2023 at the age of 42, leaving a wife and three young daughters, Joe wanted to do something as a tribute in his honor. Mike had reached the level of General Manager at Bertera Metro and was always ready with a helping hand for others. Because of this quality, the MJK Foundation was formed, committed to helping young people.
The MJK Foundation’s mission is to empower mentors with the knowledge, tools, and support necessary to effectively guide and nurture the mental health and wellness of adolescents.
Joe, who has been married to Lisa for thirteen years and together have two beautiful daughters, has dealt with his own hardships in life. With a lot of personal effort and good guidance, he’s overcome much of these things. He was a Correctional Officer for thirteen years at the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department and for the past eight years has worked at the Juvenile Detention Center working with youths aged twelve to twenty-one. He explained how much of a need there is helping kids turn their young lives around to go down the right pathway.
The goal of the Foundation is to first recognize, then train and certify anyone who deals with children such as youth coaches, teachers, after school programs, etc. The free workshops would entail a four-hour training that would then qualify the attendee a certificate stating they were a Certified Mental Health Instructor. The Foundation will pay the thirty-five-dollar fee for the applicants to become certified.
Joe is the President of this family Foundation and puts much of his time into its growth by planning various events. They just had a golf tournament with amazing success and two more events are planned in the near future. The first one will be at O’Brien’s Corner on Saturday, September 13th from 5pm to 8pm called “Pints of the Past”. The other event will be held at Nathan Bill’s on October 4th, the “MJK Foundation Garvey Law Music Fest” with three incredible musical attractions. Both establishments are located in Springfield.
Joe spent several years part-time bartending while in college and after at various places. But along with many of his cousins as well as an uncle, O’Brien’s was where they did their stints for years, it felt like Springfield’s own ‘Cheers’. It’s going to be a different kind of ‘Celebrity Bartending’ event as you’ll be served by many of the ‘old-time bartenders’ from the original O’Brien’s Corner. Myself as a former bartender of O’Brien’s Corner, am honored that I’ve been asked to help with “Pints from the Past.” In fact, I’ll be the ‘OLD’ bartender so make sure to say hi! All tips are being donated to the Foundation and of course all donations will be graciously accepted! If you can’t attend the event but would like to contribute, please contact Joe on how to support this cause.
What a fun way to welcome the fall. We’re going to have live music, food will be available to purchase and naturally what would a fundraiser be without a whole lotta raffles. We’ll also have a TV with a continual loop of all kinds of pictures from the past that have been shared. You can enjoy a special tasty shot or delicious cocktail with the ingredients of course having the initials, MJK.
Such a tragedy and loss of this incredible young man, yet his family has turned his passing into something that will be doing Random Acts of Kindness for young people and their families for a long time. The Foundation members may never know the amount of young people they have helped, but you can bet they are doing just that with their endeavors.
For more information on these events, how to get involved or to learn more about the mission of the MJK Foundation, you can contact Joe Hutchison, President, directly at 413-478-4592 or mjkmemfoundation@gmail.com. You can also follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
Hope to see you at O’Brien’s Corner for this entertaining night while supporting a great cause! Don’t forget to say hi!
If you’d like to share a Random Act of Kindness story or if this one has touched you, please contact me at bdt514@aol.com or 413-575-9385. Who knows, you might see your story, ‘Just ‘Cause’ you witnessed, you did or maybe received something nice being done for you. See you soon with another Random Act of Kindness! ~ Barb