Hello Everyone, My name is Alicia Ciccarello, and I am a representative of the KWF foundation.
Tonight, I am here to present a first-time scholarship award to a well-deserving senior. But before I do I just want to give a quick background on how the KWF scholarship fund came to light.
My college roommate and softball teammate Kathy Waddilove was one of the most determined, hardworking, coachable softball players I have ever encountered…
Kathy was special.
She attended LIU in Brooklyn on a full scholarship from Las Vegas NV. She came in as a catcher but through the years played almost every position on the field for LIU. Kathy was tough as nails but was also known for her heart of gold. Kathy was first to lend a hand, she always placed her teammates’ needs above her own, and her love for life was heard through her infectious laugh.
My dear friend Kathy passed away 2 years ago after fighting a long battle against breast cancer. Kathy’s mom and many of her teammates, myself included, have come together to start the KWF foundation in her honor.
Finally, we are here today to start with our first scholarship honoring Kathy, her dedication to the sport, and most importantly her love of life.
This award tonight goes to a young lady who has been nominated by her coach Nicholle Sacer as well as Sayville’s Coach Tiffany Rowan. What makes this first award even more special is that these two coaches were also teammates of my dear friend Kathy. Knowing Kathy and the type of athlete and person this foundation wants to support, this young lady truly stood out and is described as a team player, a natural leader, has a GPA of 96.85, and will be continuing her softball career at Fordham University.
It is with great honor and excitement to announce our first KWF scholarship of $1,000 to a very deserving athlete… Miss Kate McGuire.
