​In 2010, the Zimkids goal was to build a safety net for orphans with educational and vocational opportunities, recreation, food and medical care. That wasn’t easy while operating out of a single primary school classroom. Dennis dreamed of building a Center and even had plans and a plot of land given by the city. But operating on a tiny budget, he had no way to realize those dreams.

Then, Adrian Suskin, a pilot for UPS who was born in Zimbabwe, swooped in.

Recently diagnosed with cancer, Adrian refused to wallow in self-pity. Instead, he decided to give back to the city where he’d grown up. Introduced to Dennis by his sister Philippa, between chemo treatments, Adrian spent time playing with the Zimkids, taking them out for pizza, becoming part of the family. Finally, he joined the board of Trustees and got busy raising money.

His friends, family and pilots’ union, filled the building fund.  Adrian lived long enough to see the center completed and filled with children. Adrian died in 2013 just 2 years after completion.