SCHOLARSHIP DISCONTINUED
May 29th, 2014 by BHSadmin
THANK YOU to all of you who donated to the BHS Class of 1979 “Get Involved” Scholarship over the years! It had a great run we and really did some good!
“Senior Night” in May 2013 was the last award in the amount of $3,000. After several years of dedication and thousands of dollars in scholarship money awarded to a deserving BHS senior each spring, the committee decided it was the right time to end this program. This decision was made in August of 2013, primarily due to the amount of time it takes to maintain such a charity.
Over the course of the summer last year there had been more donations, so the committee decided to donate the remaining money, $3,000, to another scholarship: THE ALEX LABBE FUND. This fund was created in memory of the son of Peter and Judy Labbe, who sadly passed away at the age of 13 in 2010. See details below from an article in “The Forcaster” 1n June 2013:
“BRUNSWICK, Maine — A new fund has been created to help children in financial need participate in the Parks and Recreation Department’s summer vacation camp program.
And the fund is being named after a former participant in the program who passed away nearly 2½ years ago.
The Alex Labbe Fund was created by unanimous approval of the Town Council on Monday, at the request of Parks and Recreation Director Thomas Farrell on behalf of Labbe’s parents, Peter and Judy.
Farrell said he knew Alex Labbe personally as a ‘spirited young guy who participated actively in our summer playground program’ and faced a heart condition that intimately took his life in 2010 at the age of 13.
‘He was the type of child that was recognized not only by adults but his peer group. [They] really had a sensitive, genuine, caring, compassionate attitude towards Alex,’ Farrell said. ‘He was a vivacious kid, great bright personality, respected by the staff and his peers and I know many, many in the School Department as well.’
Farrell said Labbe’s parents had already raised funds to help needy children attend the summer camp in the past two years.
‘We’ve been meeting for a few months and we feel collectively there’s potential to raise considerable money, to help far more children being able to access this program,’ Farrell said.
He said Labbe’s parents have already indicated ‘a willingness to spearhead a communitywide entertainment event that could generate significant dollars.’ Funds could also be raised through a Web-based system, he added.
Farrell said the Parks and Recreation Department receives about 10-20 requests a year for financial assistance in paying for the camp program, which can cost more than $500 depending on the length of attendance.
After some questions from councilors about how the funds will be handled, the council passed a resolution to create the fund in a 9-0 vote.
The resolution also creates the Alex Labbe Scholarship Summer Vacation Camp Award Committee, which will be made up of Farrell, Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Troy Smith and Labbe’s parents.”