Support for fund pleases fallen officer’s parents

The scholarship fund has reached more than $150,000 in just five years.

By HAROLD GWIN

VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Howard and Mary Kay Hartzell are impressed with the level of public support for the scholarship fund they created in memory of their son — Michael T. Hartzell.

The younger Hartzell, a Youngstown police officer, was shot and killed as he sat in his cruiser downtown April 29, 2003. He was 26.

As a lasting legacy to their son, the Hartzells created the Michael T. Hartzell Memorial Scholarship at Youngstown State University, offering scholarship aid to graduates of Austintown Fitch High School (from which Michael graduated) and sons or daughters of area police officers.

The scholarship principal rose to $157,000 this year, with $22,000 being raised this year alone.

The money comes from an annual charity golf outing in Michael Hartzell’s name.

Mary Kay Hartzell said the outing has been held five times, and all but one had a full field of golfers.

It shows that the community is still there to support the cause, Howard Hartzell said, adding that his family is surprised at how fast the scholarship fund has grown.

Six scholarships were awarded this year, worth a total of just under $5,000.

The recipients are nny Olson of Austintown, a Fitch graduate; Katie Ball of Columbiana, whose father is a Beaver Township police officer; Alan Greenef Girard, whose father is with the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department; Jessica Koenig of Youngstown, who has a parent on the Poland Police Department; Jose Morales of Canfield, whose father is a Youngstown police officer; and Casey Lee Wilson of Youngstown, who has a parent on the Youngstown Police Department.

Howard Hartzell said corporate sponsorship of the charity golf outing has gone a long way to making it a success. This year’s $500 hole sponsors were Butler-Wick; DeBartolo-York; MVI Home Care; Youngstown Tool & Die; Marucci & Gaffney Excavating; Intier Seating Systems-Lordstown; Youngstown Police Association; and The Catholic Exponent newspaper.

Outback Steakhouse has donated lunch and dinner for the outing for four years.

gwin@vindy.com