The Jason Christopher Wilhelm Scholarship Fund
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HistoryIn the fall of 2008, founder Doug Closinski decided to honor the memory and legacy of his oldest nephew, Jason Wilhelm, by establishing a non-profit organization in his name. In 2003, Jason was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer that would take his life in 2008 at the age of 25.
On June 11, 2009, the first yearly scholarships were awarded to two high school seniors from Camden, New York. The following year, three scholarships were given and the number of patient donations increased significantly as the mission of the Fund reached more donors and recipients. The Fund continues to grow as the Board Officers work to find more efficient and innovative ways to generate, manage, and distribute gifts from the supporters of The Jason Christopher Wilhelm Scholarship Fund.
Location And Reach Of The FundAlthough officially incorporated in Wilton, New York, the Fund operates primarily from the city of Rome, center of the Central New York communities in which Jason grew up, lived, and performed... Camden, Sylvan Beach, Whitesboro, and Utica also treated him as one of their own.
Jason's alma mater of Camden High School is the focus of our Scholarship Awards. Other recipients live primarily within a thirty-mile radius of nearby Rome, New York.
We plan to expand the scholarships to neighboring schools and extend the area in which The Fund can effectively serve, as allowed by our working budget. When cancer hardship is taking names...
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