Angela Stanzione
(11/20) The Second Annual Brady West
Memorial Walk was held on Sunday, November 9
at Thurmont Community Park.
The walk was created by Jaime Sweeney and
John West to honor their son, Brady, who died
after only four months of life. The walk is
held in November for Brady’s birthday,
November 9, 2006.
“We have baked goods and balloons. It’s
sort of like his birthday party,” said West.
The event had 140 pre-registered walkers
and there were expected to be 200 people
altogether. At 2 p.m. the walkers began a
three-lap walk around the park’s Nature Trail
led by Sweeney and West. Registration was $10
and included a walk t-shirt. Money raised by
the event goes toward the Brady West Memorial
Scholarship Fund at The Community Foundation
of Frederick County to help Catoctin High
School students pay for a college education.
“When Brady passed, we got a lot of support
from the community and we wanted to be able to
give back to the people who helped us,” said
West.
Last year the couple only expected to give
away one scholarship to a deserving student,
but the walk and a bingo event in Brady’s
honor were so successful they were able to
give two; one to Dusty Kidd and the other to
Sarah Topper.
“We figured we could benefit someone else
with his memory,” said Sweeney. “We both went
to Catoctin [high school] and are from the
area. It’s a good way to show the people who
support us where their support is going.”
“We want to help kids who need it the most.
We select ‘B’ students because usually the
other scholarships are going to all straight
‘A’ students and good students sometimes get
left out,” West added.
In March, around the time of Brady’s
passing, the couple will hold their second
bingo event. Last year the event sold out with
225 participants. According to West, this year
they hope to have even more success so they
can give more scholarship money.
Though the money is helpful, the most
important part of Brady’s legacy is the
support and love from the community the couple
has received.
“We want to thank everyone for their
support,” said Sweeney. “We want to thank
everyone for remembering him.”
Contributions to The Brady West Memorial
Scholarship Fund may be made payable to The
Community Foundation of Frederick County
located at 312 East Church Street in Frederick
with the fund’s name in the memo line. Or
visit the foundation’s website at
www.cffredco.org/index.htm for more
information and press releases of upcoming
events.
