Feb. 11,
2021
| Dennis Hackett
dennis@thereminder.com
HAMPDEN – In honor of Lori Gaw, a Westfield resident and West Springfield Middle School teacher who recently died, Farmer Brown Family Farm and Spudley’s Sweets in Hampden are collecting donations for a scholarship in her name.
Debra Brown, the fundraiser’s organizer and one of Gaw’s colleagues at West Springfield Middle School, said Gaw cared about the children and staff at the school more than anyone.
“She cared about the kids so much. She was that teacher that could always engage that one student that nobody could catch or get. She was always welcoming with staff and when I started, she was the curriculum coach, and I never felt scared to ask a question, she was there for whoever needed help,” she said.
Because Gaw had a huge impact on Brown as a teacher and her students, she said she wanted to help the scholarship fund in her name.
“When Lori passed away, having made such an impact on me as a teacher, but especially her students, I just wanted to do something to help that scholarship fund in her name and for the kids in West Springfield. The goal for the fundraiser is to get the scholarship up to a certain amount so they can keep giving it out for years,” she said.
Since opening the fundraiser on Jan. 26, Brown said she has raised over $2,700 already.
“So far, they’ve gone well, I don’t know how it’s gone for them separate from the fundraiser I’m doing, but I’ve gotten $2,700 so far so hopefully it keeps going. I’m hoping through the funeral and other things they’ve gotten their own donations,” she said.
The fundraiser is set to end mid-way through February’s school vacation week.
While she said she was sad about Gaw’s passing, Brown said she is excited to see her legacy carry on through her students.
“She was such a great person and at the middle school where I work, we’re a work family. She was an inspiring member for our work family. It was a sad loss, but it’s going to be awesome to continue her memory through her students because that’s what she cared about most,” she said.
For each $5 donation, donors will receive a ticket for the raffle of baked goods that includes cakes, cookies pies, fudge, and more, all baked by Brown and her friend, Greg Konkol.
Brown said she initially started the Baking for a Cause program when her sister-in-law was in the hospital during the summer.
“Last summer, my sister-in-law had to be hospitalized four months before giving birth, side note the baby’s fine, but she had to stop working because she couldn’t leave the hospital and was using up her maternity leave before the baby was born. So, I decided to do a fundraiser since I bake as a side job and it raised over $2,000,” she said.
After the first fundraiser, Brown said she and Konkol decided to continue with fundraisers every few months.
“My friend and I decided to do it every few months, we’ll try to take somebody’s cause and try to raise money for them with our baking. We wanted to do something we like to help somebody else,” she said.
Anyone interested in donating to the scholarship through Farmer Brown Family Farm and Spudley’s Sweets can do so by heading to their Facebook donation page.
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