This time of the year, it’s hard to miss celebrating high school seniors, excited for their next steps – many of them going on to college with the help of a community scholarship.
This time of the year, it’s hard to miss celebrating high school seniors, excited for their next steps - many of them going on to college with the help of a community scholarship.
As they gave out those awards this spring at Simsbury High School, there was a new one added to the list: the Abigail Harris Memorial Hockey Scholarship.
“Memorial” is hardly a word expected to follow the name of an athlete who graduated from that very school just three years ago. But it’s in Abigail Harris’ memory that this scholarship was started.
“She was fast. She was tough,” said George Harris, Abigail’s dad.
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“She was relentless,” added mom Lourdes Harris.
She was all of 4-feet-10-inches tall, but Abigail was a force on the ice with the Simsbury Trojans girls hockey team.
“She was 4'10 but she rounded up to 4'11 which always made me laugh,” said George Harris.
Sports
She was a hockey player, a college student and just 18 years old when she was diagnosed with brain cancer.
“They did a biopsy, following the biopsy that's when they determined it was not treatable,” said George Harris. “Ultimately terminal.”
George Harris described a video his daughter posted shortly after her diagnosis. In it, she broke the news to her friends, family and followers about her diagnosis and asked them to “live a beautiful life."
“She came to understand that meant much more than she initially thought,” said George. Harris. “Just being your best self in the face of all of it.”
In the face of all of it. The “good” like laughing and cheering when she received a video of well wishes from her favorite Boston Bruin, David Pastrnak. And the “bad” like stretch marks from rapid weight gain from her treatments.
“Stripes and all,” Abigail Harris said.
“That was her way of saying, ‘I'm just living as I am’,” said George Harris.
Now as she was, she’ll live on. The Harris’ started the scholarship in her name for graduating Simsbury girls hockey players going off to college.
“Abby became a great role model,” her father said. “Not because she was perfect or she didn't have lots of challenges. She got back up and faced into it every day.”
As he presented the first award this June, George left the audience with this: “Please carry Abby’s words with you ‘live a beautiful life, stripes and all.'"
In the less than six months since Abigail passed away, the Harris’ said they’ve raised more than $27,000. They presented their first gift of $1,000 and are well on their way to continuing for years to come.
The scholarship fund is set up with the First Church of Simsbury. You can find out more on how to donate here.
