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Memorial fund gives out grants to first recipients
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Published: August 4, 2009
Two schools, a church and a hospital were among the first recipients of charitable grants from a fund established by a local family in memory of a Reynolds High School sophomore who died from injuries received in a football game last year.
The grants, as well as a scholarship for a Reynolds High School student, were made from the Matthew Alan Gfeller Memorial Fund and a separate scholarship fund by the same name, which are housed at the Winston-Salem Foundation.
Gfeller, 15, was a football player at Reynolds High School who died from a brain injury that occurred during the first game of the season last year.
His injury came after a block in the fourth quarter of the game. State athletics officials said at the time that they couldn't recall any football injury in North Carolina as severe as Gfeller's.
Matthew Gfeller's mother, Lisa Gfeller, said that the family was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support. She declined to say how much money was in the fund or scholarship.
"We had so many people who didn't even know us, but who made a contribution," she said.
Her son was a sophomore at Reynolds and had attended Summit School. He had wide-ranging interests that included Boy Scouts, football and acting, she said.
Among the grants were:
□ $5,000 to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center to support the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma.
□ $4,400 to Centenary United Methodist Church to renovate the Scout Hut for Boy Scout Troop 920. Both Matthew and his older brother, Robbie, earned their Eagle Scout rank with the troop.
□ $2,000 to Summit School, with $1,000 for maintenance and equipment for the Matthew Alan Gfeller Weight Room in the new athletics center and $1,000 to support the drama department.
□ $500 to Carter Vocational High School to support the school.
In making the grants, the family looked for places where they felt that the money would have an impact, said Annette Lynch, the vice president of philanthropic services for the Winston-Salem Foundation.
In addition to the grants, the Matthew Alan Gfeller Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Howell Smith.
Smith played varsity football and lacrosse while at Reynolds and also participated in the orchestra for all of his four years at the school. He recently attained the rank of Eagle Scout in Troop 920.
The scholarship will be awarded annually to one graduating Reynolds High School senior who is selected by a committee of educators and coaches. Initially the $8,000 scholarship will provide one Reynolds student with an annual award of $2,000 for four years at an accredited educational institution of higher learning.
Gfeller died Aug. 24. As the first anniversary of his death approaches, Lisa Gfeller said she hopes that people will focus on the legacy her son leaves.
"In spite of that loss and tragedy," she said, "there's that coming together and doing something positive."
■ Mary Giunca can be reached at 727-4089 or at mgiunca@wsjournal.com.
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