Because of you, I believe I became braver and more confident in myself than I ever was.

I'm writing you this email to tell you about what happened since the day I received a scholarship from you last year in Pilsen, Czech Republic. 

For the first time, the university I attend announced the opportunity to take part in studying abroad in the United States. After applying and completing interviews, I was lucky enough to get chosen to participate in the study program.  

I am currently attending Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. I will be staying here for the fall semester. I will be here until early December. As a right now, I have been attending classes for over a month. In my free time, as much as I can, I am trying to explore more of the American culture and traditions.

Even though the current situation in the world is not ideal, I always try to find the good in it. In times like this, we never appreciated the hard work and resilience of our nurses, doctors, medical staff and firefighter more than we do now. It is truly incredible what people can do to help other people.

I wanted to thank you again for choosing me for your scholarship. Because of you, I believe I became braver and more confident in myself than I ever was. Thanks to you, I can financially support myself in here, learn and get better not only in language, and created friendships with Americans and international friends for life. The least I can do is to thank you all over again and send you some pictures from my stay here. 

The journey is truly the reward.

Adéla Machová 

Adéla received the 2019 General Patton Scholarship of Honor in Pilsen, Czech Republic. She is studying medicine and plans to focus on cancer research. She also plays guitar and she is voluntary firefighter.

The 2019 General Patton Scholarship of Honor presentation during the Liberation Festival in Pilsen, Czech Republic. Pictured here is Pat Waters, Doug LaViolette, Adela Machova, Justin Nueske and Jana Poncarova.

The change this world needs

“It is truly an honor to have received this scholarship in honor of a Luxemburg-Casco High alum as selfless and courageous as Jesse was. He gave everything for his country and his community and I hope that one day I can be remembered in such an honorable way.  

With the help of this scholarship I will be able to begin paying for my education at UW Oshkosh to pursue a degree in nursing so that I can do my part to help others.”

Holly Baierl, 2020 Jesse Thiry Scholarship of Honor recipient. This scholarship is made possible by sponsor, Dan Whetter, Whetter Law Office.

Holly is one of 19 scholarship recipients through Brian's Foundation, just this year, who will be pursuing a degree in the medical field. 

Now more than ever, these scholarship recipients, their family and our schools need our support. Each scholarship changes a life and the impact that these recipients make in the lives of others. 

Thank you all for being a part of the change this world needs.

International Scholarship of Honor in Poland

This year's recipient of the International Scholarship of Honor in Poland is Natalia Roska. She is studying at Warmia and Mazury University in Olsztyn, majoring in Linguistics in Business.

Natalia is pictured with Sylwia Jaskulska - a member of the Board of the Marschal Office of the Warmia and Mazury Region in Olsztyn and Paweł Przybyłek - vice-Governor of the Nidzica County.

This scholarship is made possible by Dr. Mike and Sue Smullen

A class act… the Class of 2020

"To me this scholarship means that others have my back, they believe in my dreams, and are willing to help me get there."  

Allison Biese, 2020 Kyle Hemauer Scholarship of Honor, Chilton High School

Allison will be attending Fox Valley Technical College to pursue a degree in Nursing. She is joined by 54 other scholarship recipients this year.  

This year more than ever, Brian's Foundation was committed to award each and every one of our annual scholarships. With school closings and almost every detail of our scholarship application process and presentations in flux, we were able to continue to award scholarships in 17 states and 3 foreign countries.  We did not do this alone. The school guidance offices, sponsors, presenters and scholarship applicants put in the extra mile to make it happen.  

On behalf of 55 scholarship recipients, families and communities worldwide, we thank you.

Congratulations to our 2020 Scholarship Recipients!

Above and Beyond Scholarship: Oconto High School, WI- Alayna Westenberg

Ron Anderson: Suring High School- Stephanie Huth 

Matt Atkinson: Green Bay East High School, WI- Joel Holzer

Bellin College Scholarship- Green Bay, WI- Brady Tanck

Ollie and Helen Bogsted: Suring High School, WI- Duncan Breed

Rachel Bosveld: Waupun High School, WI-  Brelynn Billie

John Bradley: Appleton West High School, WI- Lindsey Vue

Andrew Brownfield: North High School, Akron OH- Ismita Rai

Mike Colalillo: Denfeld High School, MN- Kennedi Coffman

James Cathey: Reno High School, NV- Christian Marquez

Danny Dietz: Heritage High School, Littleton, CO- Gabriela Gritz Moya

Danny Dietz: Austin High School, Austin TX- Isabelle Del Cueto

Ben Edinger: Green Bay West High School, WI- Isabella Schabell-Barrera

Wendell and Shanna Ellsworth (2 scholarships): Belding High School, MI- Hannah Hummel and Trevin Springsteen

Nichole Frye: Lena High School, WI- Alexis Misco 

Robert Foley: United States Military Academy, West Point NY- Zachary Potter

Riley Garbe (2 scholarships): Freedom High School- Reeve Lambrecht and Colby McHugh

Sal Giunta: JFK High School, Cedar Rapid, IA- Kaylah Ajram-Wright

Joel Gentz: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN- To be awarded in the Fall

David Hatfield: Tunstall High School, Dry Fork VA- Matherly Eskey 

Kyle Hemauer: Chilton High School, WI- Allison Biese

Ken Hess: AC Reynolds High School, Asheville, NC- Sarah Fletcher

Nainoa Hoe: Schofield Barracks, HI- to be awarded in August

Thomas Hudner: Fox Valley Composite Civil Air Patrol-William Voelker

Isaiah Hunt: Bayport High School, WI- Sarah Dehnel

Ryan Jerabek: Pulaski High School, WI- Paige Willer

Junior Achievement- Business Challenge-Maddie Burgess

Len Keller: Auburn High School, Rockford, IL- LaDarius Jackson

Ken Kubsch (2 scholarships): Manitowoc High School, WI- Garrett Holsen and Amaya Salek

Brian LaViolette: Green Bay Preble High School, Lauren Bonetti 

LEAP School Science and Math, Cape Town, Republic of South Africa-to be awarded in the fall

Eric McColley: Gettysburg High School, PA- Dallas Plank

General George S. Patton: Pilsen, Czech Republic,- Martin Wolf

NWTC Scholarship (2 scholarships): To be awarded in Fall 2020

Nueske Family: Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School, WI- Megan Gauderman 

David Parmentier:  DePere High School, WI- Lauren Hansen

Victoria Parmentier Scholarship: Ashwaubenon High School, WI- Caitlyn Phillips

Poland Scholarships: Nidzica Poland (2 scholarships)- September 2020

Robert Safford: Oconto High School, WI- Sean Durand

Ron Sager: Fox Valley Lutheran High School, WI- Emma Mindock

St. Norbert Scholarships (2 scholarships): DePere, WI --October 2020

Ken Stumpf, Elmer Burr: Menasha High School, WI- Callista Morgan

"The Journey is the Reward" (2 scholarships) : Oconto High School, WI-Katrina Salewski and Aubree Buchegar

Jesse Thiry: Luxemburg Casco High School, WI- Holly Baierl

Brent Vroman: Omro High School, WI- Bryanna Laurent

Bernard Webber: MAST Academy, Miami FL- Alexa Venereo

Joe Welke: Rapid City Stevens High, Rapid City, SD- to be awarded in September

Ray Zimmerman: Green Bay West High School, WI- Abigail Vasquez Ortega 

9th annual General Patton Scholarship of Honor

“Receiving the scholarship is an honor to me, but also it’s a great commitment for the future.  I appreciate that someone can acknowledge my work with volunteer firefighters. It will definitely motivate me to do what I fully enjoy.”  Martin Volf

Since 2011 The General George S. Patton Scholarship of Honor has been awarded in Pilsen, Czech Republic during their annual Liberation Festival held the first week of May.  As you might expect due to the pandemic everything changed this year, but we’re pleased to report that the Scholarship presentation was just delayed.

Martin Volf and Petra Liska

With family proudly looking on, Martin Volf became the ninth recipient in Pilsen during a special and impressive ceremony this week.

Martin is a graduate of The High School of Engineering, a high school professor at Svejcar and a member of the Volunteer Firefighters Corps Plzen-Skvrnany.  In fact, three hours after the ceremony, he was called to extinguish a fire in the suburbs of Pilsen!  Martin also devotes himself to uplifting children and youth programs.

Members of the Pilsen Scholarship of Honor Committee, lead by Chairman Petr Liska, along with the Mayor of the City of Pilsen, Martin Baxa and the Ambassador of the United States of America to the Czech Republic, Stephen B. King attended the ceremony and awarded Martin with the engraved Scholarship of Honor Medal and 1,000.00 USD. 

Pat Waters, Brian LaViolette Foundation board member and grandson of General George S Patton, along with Doug LaViolette also had an opportunity to be involved and congratulate Martin through a live online connection.

First Row. United States Ambassador Stephen B. King, scholarship recipient, Martin Volf and City of Pilsen Mayor, Martin Baxa.

Along with proud Scholarship of Honor Committee members and the Volf Family who were in attendance.

2020 Thomas Hudner Scholarship of Honor recipient, William Voelker

“This scholarship is an absolute honor. To have seen so many mentors of mine receive the same scholarship before me, amplifies the honor of it.  I am excited to honor Thomas Hudner and the Brian LaViolette Foundation through my pursuits in the future.” 

William Voelker, 2020 Thomas Hudner Scholarship of Honor

Lt Col Koehler, Cadet Lt Col William Voelker and Col Stephen Kohler

William attended Pulaksi High School in Wisconsin and will be studying Aerospace Engineering at the United States Air Force Academy. He received this year’s Thomas Hudner Scholarship of Honor during a social distance presentation last week with the leaders of the Fox Valley Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol who help administrate the award.

Thomas J. Hudner

As a fighter pilot in the Korean War, Thomas Hudner routinely completed his missions by air. But in a dramatic rescue attempt of a fellow pilot, Hudner executed a wheels-up landing in enemy territory and found himself battling the elements on the ground. The snow and cold of December 1950 in North Korea found Hudner thinking not of himself or the enemy, but of one fellow Navy pilot, Ensign Jesse Brown, the Navy’s first African American aviator.

President Truman awarded Thomas Hudner the Congressional Medal of Honor on April 13, 1951 for his courageous actions.

The Thomas Hudner Scholarship of Honor is made possible by David Konrath, a United States Air Force Veteran.

Walk with Walker

By Doug LaViolette

May 29, 2020 was a special day for our family.  Our grandson, Walker, turned two years old and as a family, we walked his age in miles through their neighborhood.

After one of our Board members, Darrel Burnett, heard we were doing this, he suggested we have a “Walk with Walker” to benefit Brian’s Foundation and challenged our Board of Advisors to pledge for each mile walked. 

Clearly with only 2 miles no one could get too terribly hurt, and at the same time we could take a huge step (no pun intended) to help fund and fulfill our mission.  

 With that as a backdrop “Walk With Walker” was born and the journey began…

He was bright eyed and raring to go as he started from home. And that energy and joy carried throughout his entire walk. This is Walker on the final leg of his 2 mile “marathon” proudly showing his mom and dad the way.......

It took a little longer than we expected, 1 hour and 45 minutes, because Walker stopped so many times to read letters on yard signs or anything he could find…

And what an amazing success it was… Our board really stepped up to a point where we raised enough money to fund two scholarships we awarded this year.

With Walker’s Walk taking place in Asheville, North Carolina, it seemed fitting that we remember and honor the memory of a fallen Asheville soldier Ken Hess at AC Reynolds High School.  

Ken was very proud to serve his country and had plans of making a career out of the Army. Ken served in the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team based out of Fort Wainwright, Alaska. He was a father, a husband, brother and a friend. 

Sadly his life was lost after 6 years of service in April 2006.

NWTC recipient, Dustin Olsen

At the same time, we looked once again to the future and the great work of the students in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  

Brian’s Foundation has awarded scholarships at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College for the last two decades. We support all they do in shaping new generation of students pursuing their passion and life’s calling.

We’re truly blessed…Doug and Renee LaViolette

Front Yard Scholarship Surprise

"I understand the importance of carrying on not only the legacy of Brian, but the service to community, leadership, and sportsmanship which represents the goals of the foundation." -Lauren Bonetti

Yesterday, Lauren Bonetti, a senior at Green Bay Preble High School was presented with the Brian LaViolette Scholarship during a surprise social distancing yard party. There were representatives of Brian's Foundation, school administrators and educators, along with Partners in Education of the Greater Green Bay Chamber.

Doug and Renee LaViolette surprise Lauren

This scholarship awards $10,000 towards Lauren's education at Marquette University where she will pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.  She plans to continue her education as a participant in ROTC for the U.S. Air Force and serve with the Air Force after graduating with her bachelor's degree.

Lauren with her parents Donell and Mark (left) and Doug and Renee LaViolette (right)

Through the administrative help of Partners in Education, one student was selected from about 4,000 Seniors in the Green Bay district.  A student from each of the 17 schools applies.  The committee narrows it down to 5 and our family, along with April and Cherie of Partners in Education interview the finalists. This year that was done virtually. 

A big group came out to surprise with her

The scholarship recognizes a student who has shown exemplary achievement throughout his or her high school career, and who has a thirst for knowledge, the ability to be a team player and the desire to be a future leader. 

We have no doubt that Lauren will continue to do great things.

75 years ago

75 years ago on May 6th,1945, General Patton's 3rd Army liberated the City of Pilsen, Czech Republic. And each year the citizens of Pilsen celebrate the liberation and the American soldier during a very special Liberation Festival.  

For the last 10 years, Brian's Foundation has awarded the General George S. Patton Scholarship of Honor.  Not being able to meet in person this year, the City of Pilsen held a 7 hour live streaming for the world to take part in.  

Our very own Doug LaViolette shared a message with them..

We believe everyone should be given the opportunity to clearly understand the sacrifice of the American soldier, as well as those of the Czech people who helped liberate their city on this joyous anniversary.  

In 2013, Green Bay's Fox 11 news created a very special 28 minute documentary on the history of the Liberation Festival and the General George S. Patton Scholarship of Honor in Pilsen, Czech Republic.

"Return to Pilsen, An American Story" will re-air tonight at 10:35pm on WLUK-Fox 11 after the 10:00pm broadcast.  

If you are not able to catch it live you can view it here:

First Scholarship of 2020

Ysabella Brabazon and Madalyn Burgess, both of Notre Dame Academy ,won this years' Junior Achievement Business Challenge, receiving the first prize Scholarship through Brian's Foundation. Their mentor, Tom Burgess is pictured here with them. Their smiles say it all!

2.22.22

It seems fitting that on today, 2.20.20, we roll out a very special date for you to put on your calendar…

In the weeks, months and in this case, years to come you'll discover more exciting details.

As Brian believed, The Journey Is The Reward! 

One family's annual donation gives back what was received in Scholarship award

Austin, 1995

Austin Rios received the Brian LaViolette Scholarship in 1995 from DePere High School for the amount of $2,500.  His family graciously donates $100 every year to the Foundation on Brian's birthday. They have now given more than what was awarded to Austin 25 years ago.

After high school graduation, Austin attended Davidson College in North Carolina.  For the past 8 years, he has lived in Rome, Italy and is an Episcopal priest at St. Paul within the Walls.

Austin and Brian, 1992

Austin reflects on Brian and the time he received the scholarship 25 years ago... "I had the privileged to know Brian.  We moved from Texas to Wisconsin and it felt like a foreign country to me.  I felt alone and not sure if people would understand me. I remember sitting next to Brian in 8th grade and we instantly became friends. I could tell he was witty, and he was willing to ask questions others were not. And I found that really interesting and attractive.  It was a really wonderful friendship for me. He was my best friend. And in a time, I really needed a best friend.  He made me feel at home." 

"I was very honored to be one of the first recipients of the Brian LaViolette Scholarship.  Brian's friendship meant a lot to me and the scholarship was helpful in pursuing my undergraduate degree at Davidson.  Currently I am enjoying being a father, husband and Episcopal priest.   

I don't think anyone would have guessed that what started out as a single annual scholarship would grow large enough to offer both national and international awards. I am proud to be one of the now many recipients of this award and wish future recipients the best in pursuing their goals and dreams."  

Austin's wish is coming true through their thoughtful donation every year in honor of Brian.   

"To give back to the Foundation what was awarded to Austin is admirable.  It shows that it made a difference in his life and he wants to pay it forward," says Kim LaViolette Mosteller, executive Director of the Brian LaViolette Foundation.  "Their support is helping future recipients follow their educational dreams."

Get 2 the Point Podcast

Doug LaViolette

Photo by Nick DelCalzo

Cami Rapson of WBAY-TV 2 featured our very own Doug LaViolette on this 30- minute podcast, Get 2 the Point.  

It was released yesterday, which would have been Brian's 43rd birthday.  Doug shares more about Brian, the start of the Foundation and where the Foundation is today. You will also hear about one recipient who is making a difference.

You can find the podcast under Get 2 the Point or at this link here: www.wbay.com/podcast

"It just seems unimaginable that our boy is 43...I think it's hard for Renee and I to put our head around that. He's forever young." 

Doug has been able to witness what he calls "the good stuff", the impact Brian's foundation has on young people.

"It was our way of channeling our grief in part, so we could 'do good' in Brian's name. So he wasn't forgotten,"

Thank you to Cami and WBAY for providing this opportunity to share more about Brian and the Foundation.

Awarding Scholarships at St. Norbert College Scholarships since 1992

St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin has been the work of nurturing leaders, alumni, faculty, and friends for more than a century.  Since 1992, young men and women who are the brightest and best have had a chance to pursue their goals and dreams with the help of Brian’s Foundation. These awards are open to DePere High School graduates and are based on academic and extracurricular excellence.

This years recipients are Kelsey Keast and Grace Beno.

Kelsey is a senior studying sociology human services and psychology. This year, she has an internship at CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates, where she works directly with children who under the legal protection of the court system because they are deemed abused and/or neglected. After graduation, she plans to go to graduate school to get my Masters of Social Work, and eventually hope to work as an adoption social worker.

Grace is an art major and has three on-campus jobs. One is a TA position in the Art Center. Her favorite class is Printmaking. It is one of her favorite mediums of art because it works so well with illustration, which is her main passion and focus as an art student.

2019 Robert Foley Scholarship at West Point

Camm Johnson received this years' Robert Foley Scholarship of Honor at West Point. He is pictured with BG Buzzard who is presenting the Scholarship of Honor medal.

Camm took the semester off to assist his sister and family after their mother passed away from cancer. His father had also passed away from cancer earlier in Camm’s Cadet career. Camm truly represents the best that West Point has to offer. He “Lives Honorably, Leads Honorably and Demonstrates Excellence” in all that he has done here at West Point.

As a member of the USMA Class of 2019, he lives “Duty, Honor, Country” in all that he does and he there is no doubt that he will be a superb Engineer Officer.

LTC David , Camm Johnson, BG Buzzard

General Robert Foley, photo by Nick DelCalzo

United States Army Lieutenant General Robert Foley graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1963. He joined the infantry and went through Airborne and Ranger schools. By 1966, he was a twenty-five-year-old captain and company commander in the 27th Infantry in Vietnam. He earned the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War on November 5, 1966. President Lyndon Johnson awarded it to General Foley on May 1, 1968.

He remained in the Army until 2000, attaining the rank of lieutenant general. He ended his thirty-seven-year military career as the commander of the Fifth Army, then became president of Marion Military Institute in Alabama, the nation’s oldest military preparatory school and junior college. General Foley continued to serve U.S. Army soldiers and their families as director of Army Emergency Relief, a private nonprofit organization with headquarters in Washington, D.C. until his recent retirement.

Vision, Purpose and Passion

By Craig and Karen Dickman

"When we learned more about the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation we saw vision, purpose and passion and knew, immediately, that it had the potential to make an impact on both lives and the community.

And when you consider the deep impact that the Foundation has had - on the lives of individuals through scholarships, on the quality of community through connections, and in the deep sense of pride and patriotism - you realize it has had a tremendous effect on an immeasurable amount of people.

We are proud of our connection to the Brian LaViolette Foundation and of how its impact has grown over the years.  We have been specifically inspired by the Scholarships of Honor and the recognition of those who have served and sacrificed by the Foundation.  We also have seen the Foundation establish unique connections to Green Bay, such as the Czech Republic that have extended Brian's legacy to have global impact

We believe that Brian's Foundation not only does good work but does it in a manner that makes you proud to be involved."

An Hour Well Spent by Tom Burgess

"Eighteen years ago I wrote a letter to Doug LaViolette after having spent one hour with him while in the process of purchasing office furniture. The encounter was brief, but I remember it having a profound impact on the rest of my day. 

I wanted to reach out directly to Doug and share with him what our conversation had meant to me and how impressed I was with the dedication and devotion of The Brian LaViolette Foundation. In fact those were two of the exact words I used to describe his work, "dedication and devotion." I went on to tell him "I commend you and your family to have the strength to create such wonderful contributions out of what seems senseless misfortune." 

It was an honest letter written to convey a sense of appreciation. The Brian LaViolette Foundation is a great platform for our community. 

Those closest to Brian, would tell you he was a soul beyond his years. Always writing and collecting inspirational messages, Brian once wrote down the phrase, "The journey is the reward" and it has since become the hallmark of the foundation. 

The Burgess family; Tom, Maddie, Ben, Emily and Kate, with puppies Beatrice and Honey

In reflecting on both Brian's words and my own personal experiences in the years since that afternoon conversation with Doug, it is remarkable to know how those words have had the power to impact my life.

There is an immediate sense of how one might think about the value of life and the importance of family and how quickly those things can change. My wife Kate and I were not yet parents when Brian died and now we have three children of our own, one of whom is set to begin her first year of college this fall. 

Then, several years ago while traveling through Rome, we were able to stop at a church where one of Brian's best friends at the time of his death had gone on to enter into the priesthood. It reminded us that regardless of where you are in the world, how we can maintain the ability to identify people who are part of our tribe, so to speak, and have remained connected by Brian's life.

My family's relationship with the LaViolette family has only grown in the years since I wrote that letter and I am moved by their passion to continue the words of their son and brother. 

It is particularly remarkable to me how well the phrase, "the journey is the reward" has been translated into action many times by the foundation. 

Kate and I have attended many gatherings in support of the foundation and have often spoke with others regarding its continuous impact on the lives of the youth and families in our community. 

Enough time has passed, that our own organization, Elevate97, has been blessed to employ the services of a former scholarship recipient. 

The strength of The Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation can be found in the heart of its values; it is truly an organization that allows people to develop their own abilities to succeed. Its ability to remain sustainable can be directly attributed to all the ways in which it continuously fosters new pathways for the community it serves. 

There is a deep sense of commitment within its leaders as it sets out to both create opportunity and cultivate new resources and services... the goals of the foundation will continue for years to come. 

Brian's story is one I will carry with me always because truly..."the journey is the reward"

What is in your heart? What is important to you?

By Scot Madson, Board of Director

"Whenever a person decides to get involved in a charitable organization, there are a number of questions that he or she ask of themselves. First of all, who deserves charity? Why be charitable? Who is going to benefit from this donation?

Answering these questions, everyone has to personally decide what is important to them and how important it is to others. In the past whenever I have been involved in a charitable organization, either as a donor or as a member of the organization requesting donations, I always seem to favor children over adults. Children cannot control the situation that they are in, where adults can.

In the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation, I found that the young adults who have received these scholarships, are not only very worthy, but the scholarships change their lives. The unfortunate tragic accident that took the life of Brian at a very young age, has turned out to be a tremendous benefit for many other young people. The inspiration that Brian LaViolette has been to other people has been phenomenal. The foundation awards scholarships in different denominations all over Northeastern Wisconsin and beyond.
We found that the scholarships change students' lives, as it gives them the opportunity to pursue a career in service whether it be a military service or service to others. What we would like to see is continual charitable contributions that allow young people to go on to do great things as Brian would have done.

What is in your heart? What is important to you? Why help those who cannot help themselves? These are all great questions that we have to wrestle with in dealing with financial request. Giving can be done in many ways; 1) cash donation once or over time by pledging, 2) transfer of stock (most effective are stocks that appreciate in value), 3) beneficiary of a life insurance or annuity policy, or 4) a gift of real estate.

The scholarship recipients in the past have gone on to do great things in many fields of business, industry, military and social work. We never know what direction a young person's life is going to take, all we can hope, is to impact it in a positive way."

"I am truly blessed to say I'm a small part"

By Zach Sites, 2007 Eric McColley Scholarship of Honor recipient

"I remember being notified that I was selected to be the very first recipient of the Eric McColley Scholarship of Honor at Gettysburg High School. My first reaction was that I did not feel worthy to be a representative of such a noble cause. Since the evening of the scholarship award in May of 2007, I have felt the support of the Foundation on a continuing basis."

Zach Sites received the first annual Eric McColley Scholarship of Honor over a dozen years ago. He continues to be inspired by Eric and Brian's Foundation.

Medal of Honor recipient USMC Wes Fox was a part scholarship presentation

"It is truly astounding what the Brian LaViolette Foundation has become. We will never know how many lives have been touched by the wonderful things you all have accomplished. Not just financially, but emotionally, intellectually or otherwise. These special relationships, having been formed in the names of those honored by the foundation are what push us to continue on. I am truly blessed to be able to say I'm a small part of such a wonderful mission."

"Since receiving the Eric McColley Scholarship of Honor, I attended college to become nationally registered as a paramedic. I was hired at Prince William County Department of Fire & Rescue in 2012. Since being hired, I have become actively involved in various programs in the department. Some of these programs have included becoming an instructor for High Performance CPR, Emergency Medical Technician, and Paramedic. In addition, I have competed for and been successful in two promotions, rising to the rank of Lieutenant in January 2019."

USMC Sgt Eric McColley

Eric McColley joined the Marines on the delayed entry program prior to graduating from Gettysburg High School in 2000. While in high school, he excelled on the swim team and in other team sports including soccer and baseball. Outside of school, his commitment to helping others could be seen in his work as a lifeguard, swim instructor, and swim coach at the Gettysburg YWCA. The thing Eric was most proud of was being a Marine. He had re-enlisted and intended to go to military police school and hoped to pursue a career in law enforcement in civilian life, when he was killed on February 17, 2006 off coast of Africa in Helicopter crash at the age of 23.

Stan Clark, of Gettysburg, committed to raising funds to endow the scholarship in Eric's honor. Over 150 people in the small community contributed $42,000 for the scholarship fund making it a reality. To date, $25,500 has been awarded to the students of Gettysburg High School. Each year, the Eric McColley Scholarship of Honor recognizes a graduating high school senior with plans to enlist in the military or pursue a career in public safety or community service while keeping Eric's spirit alive. Recipients, like Zach, make this world a better place.