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Bus trip will benefit Weimer scholarship
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GENEROSITY: Scott Weimer, with his sister, Holly Watts, and their father, Richard Weimer, show off the donated gift baskets that will be raffled off on a bus tour that Watts is organizing to New York City. The Proceeds from the raffle and bus tour will benefit the Nancy L. Weimer Scholarship Fund named for the Weimer family matriarch who passed away from a brain tumor in December.
By ASHLEY LUTHERN
The deadline to register for the “Shoptober” Shuttle is Wednesday.
111The Boardman mother-daughter duo had an annual tradition of catching bus tours to New York City to do Christmas shopping, but both had wanted to plan a special tour and invite all of their neighbors, friends and relatives to accompany them.
Those plans were put on hold when Weimer died in December 2007, after a battle with brain cancer. A scholarship in her name was founded in spring 2008 at Boardman High School.
Now Watts has planned that trip after all, with the proceeds to benefit her mother’s scholarship.
“We always talked about renting a tour bus for ourselves and our friends, but we never got around to it, so I thought that this would be great fundraiser,” Watts said.
The “Shoptober” Shuttle is the weekend of Oct. 17 and reservations must be made by Wednesday. Thirty dollars from each reservation will go to the Nancy L. Weimer Memorial Scholarship fund established through Boardman local schools to award two Boardman High School seniors with $750 for educational expenses.
“This trip will be about celebrating my mom’s life, but she wouldn’t want the focus to just be on her, so it’s important that the scholarship is highlighted,” Watts said.
Another reason her mother would be pleased is with the scholarship she’ll still be a part of the Boardman schools, Watts said.
Weimer was a 1966 graduate of Boardman High School and later returned to work for the school system, as did the rest of the family. Her husband, Richard, was a guidance counselor in Boardman until his retirement this past June, and her son, Scott, began teaching at West Boulevard Elementary this fall, while Watts teaches first grade at Robinwood Elementary.
Weimer held a variety of positions, including security receptionist at the board of education offices, an aide at West Boulevard Elementary and a cheerleading adviser at Glenwood Middle School.
As the face of Boardman schools at the security reception desk, Weimer was the first impression that people got of the school system, said Frank Lazarri, Boardman schools superintendent.
“She made you feel at home and at ease, and that’s the type of person we wanted to represent us,” he said. “She really cared about others and didn’t want glory or credit; she wanted to shine that on others. The example she set is something wonderful to be emulated.”
Brittany Cerimele, a biochemistry major at Duquesne and former Boardman cheerleader, was one of the recipients of the Weimer scholarship chosen out of 40 applicants this year.
“I was a seventh grade cheerleader and it was the best experience working with [Weimer] when I was a captain,” Cerimele said. “This was the most honorable award that I could have received and just to be associated with her in some way is amazing.”
The other recipient, Joy Mistovich, wrote in her essay the three most important things in life are attitude, hard work and trying your best.
“When we had them write that essay, we were looking for someone like my mom,” Watts said. “Someone who was giving to others and had a positive attitude. Both girls are great people.”
Watts hopes the shopping trip will become an annual fundraiser until the scholarship fund is built up enough to continuously fund itself through interest. When that happens, Watts would like to work with other charitable organizations in the Boardman area.
“I have to keep going, but I feel like I’m doing something to help others, which is what my mom would have wanted,” Watts said. “This has given me a purpose.”