$250K Legacy Gift Honors Singer, LI Cares Founder Harry Chapin On National Guitar Day In Huntington

HUNTINGTON, NY – In celebration of National Guitar Day, Feb. 11, the Harry Chapin Foundation announced a $250,000 donation from the estate of Patricia LoTurco, a lifelong fan and Huntington resident inspired by Chapin’s music and his humanitarian work toward ending hunger. This major contribution, planned by LoTurco years before her passing on Sept. 14, 2025, marks a milestone in the foundation's 45-year history and provides resources to support innovative grassroots nonprofit organizations across the United States.

“Harry never settled on his laurels,” said Michael Grayeb, executive director of the Harry Chapin Foundation, HQ in Huntington. “He always said there are more people to help, and we’ve got to get busy doing that. Patricia LoTurco’s gift helps us in so many ways — to help more grassroots organizations here in New York and across the country and to help more people.”

On National Guitar Day, people across the world are encouraged to pick up a guitar and let their voices be heard, a rallying cry Harry Chapin honored through his life and legacy.

"It is deeply moving to see how my father’s music and his commitment to social justice continue to resonate so many years later," said Josh Chapin, board member of the Harry Chapin Foundation and son of Harry and Sandy Chapin. "Pat didn't just listen to the music; she took Harry’s message to heart and made it part of her own life's plan. By designating the foundation as the beneficiary of her life insurance policy, she has provided an enduring gift that will help keep Harry's dreams alive — ensuring his mission for human rights, human needs, and human dignity will thrive for generations to come."

Since its inception following the legendary singer-songwriter-humanitarian’s passing in 1981, the Harry Chapin Foundation has remained dedicated to Chapin’s credo: “When in doubt, do something.”

“Harry, with his guitar, was a troubadour,” Grayeb said. “He traveled around the country, sometimes just him and his guitar, creating a living-room effect at his concerts. He used that not only to tell story songs but to inspire audiences. That’s why National Guitar Day is fitting to thank Patricia LoTurco and Harry’s enduring legacy.”

To date, the foundation has successfully awarded 807 grants totaling $2,894,942.36. This $250,000 gift is the largest in its history and significantly increases the foundation’s endowment, enabling it to further its mission to support organizations that provide agricultural, environmental, community, and arts-in-education programs that dramatically improve people's lives and livelihoods.

Beloved for timeless hits such as “Taxi” and “W.O.L.D.,” Chapin’s musical influence remains as strong as ever. His signature number one hit song, “Cat’s in the Cradle,” was recently the focus of the 2025 documentary Cat’s in the Cradle: The Song That Changed Our Lives, marking the 50th anniversary of its release.

Beyond his music, Chapin maintained a commitment to raising and giving away millions of dollars to support nonprofit organizations and causes, and since 1981, the Harry Chapin Foundation has awarded grants to 430 nonprofit organizations across the U.S., including WhyHunger, co-founded by Chapin to address the root causes of hunger and poverty and build grassroots movements for food justice globally; Long Island Cares, the regional food bank he established in New York in 1980 to serve his home community; and the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida, the largest hunger-relief nonprofit in its region, named in his honor.

“Huntington was home to Harry and also to Patricia LoTurco — she lived there for 20 years and grew up in the same neighborhood as the Chapins,” Grayeb said. “The foundation supports nonprofits across Long Island. We also support the Huntington Arts Council and Rewild Long Island, among others. Serving the local community is a big part of what we do while also helping people nationally.”

LoTurco’s historic gift helps the foundation champion high-impact, community-based organizations across the U.S. that turn Chapin’s “do something” philosophy into reality.

"Pat was a true community connector," said Michael Misvesky, LoTurco's nephew. "She believed deeply in helping others and in the power of humanitarian work, and she held Harry Chapin’s legacy and spirit of service in the highest regard. Supporting causes that reflected compassion, generosity, and social responsibility was central to who she was."

For more information about the Harry Chapin Foundation and its ongoing initiatives, visit the foundation’s news page at harrychapinfoundation.org. Listeners can also access Harry Chapin Radio, which streams his music and fan interviews around the clock, at harrychapinfoundation.org/radio.