Letter

Early February 4th, 2012, our community suffered a tragic loss.  The lives of three promising, young girls were stolen from us before their time.  Caitlin Scannell, Sabrina Stahl, and Katie Berg will be deeply missed.  Nothing on this earth and no amount of time will fill the void created by their passing.

My sister Caitlin was a gentle, kind-hearted soul who brought joy with her wherever she went.  She had the biggest, most sincere smile I have ever seen and no matter my mood, she could always make me laugh.  She was a bright girl with a bright future, so when my parents asked me if I could set aside some money to help with her college tuition, I heartily agreed.  When I told my sister of the plan, she gave me a big, warm hug that more than made up for my financial sacrifice.  I worked as much overtime as I could so that she would eventually have enough to pay for one year’s tuition and living expenses.  Now that she’s passed, she no longer needs my financial assistance.

I want her spirit to live on in this community.  She positively affected the lives of others.  It is in this spirit that I am creating an endowment to distribute scholarships in her memory.  Even though Caitlin Scannell is no longer with us, the Caitlin Scannell Scholarship Fund can continue to positively influence the lives of others in perpetuity.

Before Caitlin’s death, I had saved $10,000 for her future education.  I am donating this money to the endowment to help future Campbellsport students.  In following years, I plan to continue to donate to the fund.  In an endowment, the principal is never touched.  Instead, only the earnings from investments are distributed. This allows the endowment to live on indefinitely.  $10,000 is a meager amount for a scholarship endowment, but with the community’s support we can grow this endowment and provide more financial assistance to students.  I am asking the Campbellsport community as a whole to match my donation, if not exceed it.

For more information, please email ryan.scannell[at]gmail.com.

May Divine Providence see us through these dark times,
–Ryan Scannell