The Nic Pagano LGBTQIA+ Scholarship Fund
About Nic
One month before his accidental death due to fentanyl poisoning on July 2nd 2021, Nic and his parents, Karen Marks and Rich Pagano were eating lunch near the sober house that he was residing in at the time when the conversation turned to the plight of the LGBTQIA+ community, its fear of being ostracized plus an assumption of lack of communal inclusion when considering treatment. Nic, leaning to an eventual career in social work, singled out the transgender community in particular for its marginalization.
The Fund
The Nic Pagano LGBTQIA+ Scholarship Fund was created to enable ongoing assistance for families and individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community in need of financial help after accepting and surrendering to treatment and a comprehensive education in sober tools due to a substance use disorder.
Since its inception in the fall of 2021, the Nic Pagano LGBTQIA+ Scholarship Fund has awarded over 30 financial scholarships to clients in need of substance use treatment. Services also address stigma, heterosexism, internalized homophobia, and discrimination as well as addiction.
The Release Foundation in New York and Caron Treatment Center in Pennsylvania have partnered in the creation of the Nic Pagano Scholarship Fund which is based at Caron Treatment Center. This scholarship aims to improve access to care for the LGBTQIA+ community.
The 5th Annual Nic Pagano Concert
Join us on Thursday, January 22, 2026 for an uplifting evening honoring the recovery journeys of LGBTQIA+ individuals while celebrating the iconic music of Elton John. This annual event brings together incredible artists - including Jim Boggia, Glenn Burtnik, Marshall Crenshaw, David Driver, the Early Elton Trio, Bettye LaVette, James Maddock, Kate Pierson, Chrissi Poland, Martha Redbone, Rachael Sage, and more - to support life-saving access to treatment for those who need it most.
All proceeds benefit the Nic Pagano LGBTQIA+ Scholarship Fund and the Release Foundation’s mission to expand treatment opportunities for the LGBTQIA+ community.
