Kevin's Fund Legacy Scholarship Program

2021 marked the start of the 25th year of the founding of the Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship Fund, (Kevin's Fund). Due to the pandemic, the recognition of the Fund’s quarter of a century was extended through 2022.

To commemorate the Fund's longevity Kevin's Fund awarded $35,000 of Legacy Scholarships. Legacy Scholarships were awarded for ideas, adopted by a designated organization, which promote awareness of Kevin’s Fund. The recognitions were:

Boston College Emergency Medical Services

This organization, also marking its 25th year during the 2020-2021 academic year, adopted new patches for their service uniforms and a new logo for their media communications by including Kevin’s initials and class year.

This suggestion was submitted by Barbara and Kelly Flaherty of Roswell, GA.

Additionally, the recipient of the BC EMS Kevin M. Eidt award will receive a $5,000 scholarship towards their post graduated education.

Norwalk High School Kevin M. Eidt Chapter of the National Honor Society

Two proposals were implementation by the Honor Society resulting in the Fund awarding two $2,500 scholarships.

The first recipient was Suzanne Calnon for the “25 Random Acts of Service” implemented this year by Norwalk High School’s Kevin M. Eidt Chapter of the National Honor Society. Suzanne designated Antonia Gasparo to receive the award. Antonia, a rising junior at Fairfield University, was also the recipient of Kevin’s 2020 St. Jerome Youth Group Scholarship.

The second recipient was Emilia Cuevas for proposing Norwalk High School’s Kevin M. Eidt Chapter of the National Honor Society, in recognition of Kevin’s community service, collaborate with a local community service charity. The suggestion included forming an ongoing relationship and maintaining a connection between the Chapter and an established community service program. Arrangements were made with Person to Person of Norwalk for the Chapter to support Person to Person projects and events and having each Chapter member volunteering two hours of their Honor Society community service requirement to Person to Person. Emilia, a rising senior at the University of Virginia, and 2019 recipient of Kevin’s Norwalk High School Scholarship, designated Sofia Cuevas, Norwalk High School class of 2022, as the scholarship recipient. Sofia will attend Rhode Island School of Design in the fall.

As part of both service projects Honor Society students will be wearing newly designed Honor Society shirts with a patch dedicated to Kevin.

Norwalk High School

There were a number of proposals submitted still under consideration by the Principal. One of the proposals which has been adopted this year is for the school to fly the Fund's Flag during the month of the Honor Society Induction Ceremony, (May) and during the month of the Fund's Annual Scholarship Presentation and Benefit Dinner Dance, (April).

Suggestion submitted by an individual ineligible for a scholarship.

Norwalk High School Marching Band

The Band Director adopted two proposals.

1. Wearing a specially designed patch on the band’s show shirts. Kevin’s Fund’s logo will be on all future marching band show shirts.

2. The performance of a trumpet solo, “A Trumpeter's Lullaby”, as part of the Norwalk High School spring 2022 concert. Kevin played this solo in the 1996 spring concert of his senior year.

Both suggestions were submitted by an individual ineligible for a scholarship.

In recognition of the Marching Band’s participation in marking the Fund’s 25th year, the Fund awarded $25,000 in scholarships to members of the 2021 – 2022 Marching Band. The recipients of the ten $2,500 scholarships, selected by the Band Director representing all aspects of the band family were:

Kevin’s Fund Scholarship Recipients

NORWALK HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP

Norwalk High School Class of 2022

A special thank you to Norwalk High School, the class of 2022, and the year book staff for honoring Kevin and the 25th anniversary of Kevin’s Fund with a double page layout in their 2022 yearbook. The layout included pictures of Kevin from his senior year and the last four recipients of the Norwalk High School Scholarship. This is a perfect representation of the words from the song “Remember” …. “I will still be here as long as you hold me in your memory and tell my story”.

Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship Fund

Donation of an anniversary throw quilt with 25 hearts, depicting the names of each of the Norwalk High School Scholarship Recipient, embroidered in silver thread. Quilt was donated to be displayed at the annual Induction Ceremony for the Kevin M. Eidt Chapter of the Norwalk High School National Honor Society and the Fund's Annual Scholarship Presentation and Benefit Dinner Dance.

This proposal was submitted by Barbara and Kelly Flaherty of Roswell, GA.

About the Fund

Background

The Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship Fund was established through the generosity of the many people Kevin touched in his short life. Kevin, an 18-year-old dean's list freshman in the honors program at Boston College, passed away from cardiac arrest on January 23, 1997 while playing intramural basketball. Kevin set the example of the passion and sincerity we should bring to each day. He was an individual with vision, commitment, abiding hope, aspirations, and compassion. And when we look back, it was a life, albeit a glimpse of life, by which people can be measured and judged by.

Mission

The mission of the Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship Fund is to preserve Kevin's spirit by paying tribute to achievements in academics, athletics, arts, and the virtues of service and faith that were the essence of Kevin's life.

Fund Facts

With 12 scholarships, valued at $160,500, awarded to the class of 2023, Kevin's Fund will have provided $2.7 Million in financial support to 222 exemplary young men and women matriculating at over 85 diverse colleges and universities in Kevin's memory. The dramatic growth in scholarship awards is directly related to the financial success of our annual benefit dinner dance, which began in 2000 and funded scholarships for the class of 2001. As a result of this generosity, Kevin's Fund has awarded the following scholarships.

To the class of 1997   $3,750
To the class of 1998   $5,000
To the class of 1999   $12,000
To the class of 2000   $13,000
To the class of 2001   $47,000
To the class of 2002   $55,000
To the class of 2003   $70,000
To the class of 2004   $85,000
To the class of 2005   $100,000
To the class of 2006   $111,000
To the class of 2007   $127,000
To the class of 2008   $139,000
To the class of 2009   $140,000
To the class of 2010   $118,000
To the class of 2011   $117,000
To the class of 2012   $115,000
To the class of 2013   $121,000
To the class of 2014   $122,000
To the class of 2015   $124,000
To the class of 2016   $122,250
To the class of 2017   $124,000
To the class of 2018   $127,000
To the class of 2019   $128,000
To the class of 2020   $128,000
To the class of 2021   $126,500
To the class of 2022   $156,000
To the class of 2023   $160,500

For the 2023 – 2024 academic year, Kevin’s Fund is providing financial support to 15 students matriculating at American University, Boston College (2), Champlain College, Columbia, Dartmouth, George Washington University, Liberty, Northeastern, Sacred Heart, Southern Connecticut State, UConn (2), Univeristy of Delaware, and UMass-Amherst.

Award	Recipient	School
Trumpet Section	Colin Hong	University of Connecticut
Brass Section	Ryan Mapes	University of Connecticut
Percussion Section	Daniel Whelan	Syracuse University
Woodwind Section	Harrison Perone	University of Connecticut
Color Guard	Mia Piacenza	Lehigh University
Leadership Team	Meljenny Rodriguez	Lesley University
Senior Class	Saul Salgado	TDB
Junior Class	Robert Koteen	University of Deleware
Sophomore Class	Sam Aurillo	TBD
Freshman Class	Nicholas Duncan	TBD

Scholarship Fund Accomplishments as of June 30, 2023
Recipients	222
Awards	$2,700,000
Funding as % of Contributions	99.5%