News and Announcements

A HOLIDAY GIFT FROM THE O'BRIENS

News added: 2009-12-28
On Christmas Eve, Baltimoreans Judi and Bob O'Brien presented Judi's brother, who serves on the Fund's Board of Directors, a plastic jug overflowing with currency. The couple had secretly run fifty-fifty raffles during two Ravens games to raise money for the Jesse Klump Scholarship. The jug contained $260.

And there was more: The O'Briens and their families and friends gave the Fund a total of $410, the best Chrismas gift this Board member received this year. A heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone who generously gave and who bought a raffle ticket.

HOW TO NOMINATE A 2010 GRADUATE

News added: 2009-12-04
The Board of Directors of the Jesse Klump Memorial Scholarship Fund welcomes nominations for deserving students from Snow Hill High School in the graduating class of 2010. A young man or woman who wishes to pursue further formal education will receive $2,500 upon graduation.

The scholarship was created to memorialize the achievements of Jesse Klump, a Snow Hill student who excelled in the classroom and on the playing field, but more important, who before his untimely death in 2009 demonstrated a willingness to put others before himself. It is that character trait that as much as academics will determine the scholarship recipient in 2010 and beyond.

Here are the basic criteria: To be eligible, a scholar must be in the 2010 graduating class of Snow Hill High School. He or she must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average and must have plans for post-high school education at a formal, legitimate institution. It need not be a four-year college or a community college. Technical or vocational school enrollment is acceptable, the understanding being that the student is best equipped than anyone to determine what he or she wishes to study.

Those are the easy criteria to demonstrate, and perhaps the less important. We want to give financial aid to young people who have shown in their lives and their actions that they sincerely wish to apply their skills to make the world a better place. This trait is demonstrable, for example, through voluntary work as a student mentor or tutor. Activities that give back to the community - Habitat for Humanity, the Appalachian Service Project, visiting a nursing home regularly, teaching Sunday School, volunteering for Meals on Wheels - are a clear sign of the scholar’s character. Equally important are more private moments, time spent helping another student over a rough patch, comforting a friend after a loss of some kind, simply being available when his or her friends are in need.

These are harder to document, but of the utmost importance to the selection process. We’re looking for short written stories about the student, anecdotal testimony of his or her superior character. They can be submitted informally.

If you know a member of the Snow Hill High School 2010 class of whom you are reminded by our criteria, we hope you will make the nomination.You can find the Scholarship NOMINATION FORM on the LEFT Navigation Menu of the web site.. You may print out the form, complete it and mail it to:

The Jesse Klump Memorial Scholarship Fund
10737 Piney Island Drive
Bishopville, MD 21813

We would like to have nominations in by May 1, 2010. The process is to remain secret, and the recipient will under no circumstances be announced until Graduate Awards Night.

JESSE'S PADDLE T-SHIRTS STILL AVAILABLE

News added: 2009-08-31
There are still some t-shirts available from the inaugural Jesse's Paddle. We only have Adult Large size. All shirts are of gray cotton, with the logo printed on the front. See the Photo Gallery for pictures. To order online, go to Donations, follow the procedure to pay $15 (including postage) and in the instructions to seller box tell us you want a shirt or shirts and the mailing address. We'll get them out right away, as long as they last.

2009 JESSE'S PADDLE RAISES $15,000!

News added: 2009-08-18
Forty boats paddled the Pocomoke River on August 9th to support the Jesse Klump Memorial Scholarship Fund. At the end of the day a total of $15,000 was raised, from pledges made by paddlers, t-shirt sales and from the raffle of an Old Town kayak. It was warm that evening, very warm, but paddlers swarmed the dock in Snow Hill, paddled away in search of prizes, and gathered after their return to eat barbecue, talk about paddling and share their memories of Jesse.

“The support from the Worcester County community has been amazing,” said Kim Klump, Jesse’s Mom and President of the Fund. “In addition to the pledges from paddlers we received countless donations from local business, many of which became prizes for our Paddle scavenger hunt. We had beer and wine donated, Stewart’s soft drinks (Jesse’s favorite), ballcaps and tote bags, commemorative paddles, ice cream cones and lovely wooden canoe paddles inlaid with stained glass paddling scenes.”

Organizers planned an annual canoeing and kayaking event because Jesse worked summers at the Pocomoke River Canoe Company. “It seems an appropriate response to a heartbreaking loss,” said Barry Laws, Board member whose Pocomoke River Canoe Company donated boats for the event and kayak accessories for the raffle. The unexpected donation of an Old Town kayak by Johnson Outdoors, and the community’s enthusiastic response to the raffle, helped boost the event. The kayak was won by a graduate student at Salisbury University, Morgan Kaumeyer, who is working with Americorps this summer (see a separate announcement under our News and Announcements tab).

Canoes and kayaks (and even two surfboards) enthusiastically paddled from the canoe shop in search of one of many red-and-white fishing bobbers, each numbered and suspended from trees along the banks. Those numbered bobbers were exchanged for prizes.

“The success of Jesse’s Paddle means that we will be able to give more or larger scholarships next year, or both, and we have to thank everyone who has so generously supported us” Kim Klump commented. This year’s scholar, the first recipient, Celina Scott, will use the $1,000 scholarship to further her education in music at the University of Tennessee.

Plans are in the works for upcoming fundraisers and “Jesse’s Paddle” will become an annual event on the Pocomoke. “We’ll be announcing next year’s date shortly, so keep an eye on the website,” Kim said.

There are photos of the Paddle under the Photo Gallery tab.

Our First Scholarship Recipient!

News added: 2009-06-06
Celina Scott, a graduate in the 2009 class at Snow Hill High School, became the first recipient of the Jesse Klump Memorial Scholarship at Graduate Awards Night at Snow Hill High School. Mr. Bill Kraus, the Band Director at Snow Hill High School, nominated Scott, a scholar and musician and the $1000 scholarship was presented to Miss Scott by the Klump Family. Scott plans to attend the University of Tennessee in the fall to study music education.

“We are pleased that Celina was chosen for this first award,” said Kim Klump, Jesse’s mother and president of the scholarship fund’s Board of Directors. “She demonstrated not only academic achievement, but also met our equally-important criteria of superior personal character, empathy and a track record of having a positive impact in the community. Jesse’s goal in life was to make the world a better place. He strove to be the best he could be by his leadership roles, being extremely kind to others, and setting an example for others to follow.”

In nominating Scott, Kraus called the young trumpet player “a very valuable member of our band program…one of the finest musicians in our region.” He went on to say, “Her sense of dedication, outstanding character, caring attitude and quiet efficiency is an example for us all.”

“I am extremely honored to be the first recipient of The Jesse Klump Memorial Scholarship,” Scott said. “Jesse was a true friend and we shared a lot of laughs. My advice to others who wish to continue Jesse’s legacy is: Be determined in academics and athletics, but most of all be determined to treat everyone, and every situation, with kindness.”

Go to the Photo Gallery tab to see a photo of Celina receiving the news of her scholarship.