The Katelyn Joy Derstine Scholarship Fund, Inc. held its’ second annual “Fly High Award” presentation and private dinner function with eleven 2008 recipients and their parents. This year’s top winner was Marissa Martinelli who was awarded $2500 while the other ten recipients received $1000 each to assist with their future collegiate endeavors. As tradition stands, each recipient was presented with a custom “Fly High” cap with a Monarch butterfly and Katelyn’s name on the back, along with the custom designed “Fly High “ trophy etched with Katelyn’s signature butterfly drawing and quote.

Nine of the eleven recipients will be attending the University of Florida; Katelyn’s Alma Mater and surprised Bambi Famous Kaine, Katelyn’s mother and founder of the foundation by dressing in Gator colors, orange and blue for the event. The tables were adorned once again with Gerbera daisy selections, Katelyn’s favorite flower and presented to the families for their support and dedication to these fine aspiring young ladies in our Sarasota community.

Press Release:
Second Annual Katelyn Joy Derstine "Fly High Award" Scholarships to be awarded

Scholarships honor the memory of an extraordinary young woman

For immediate release
Mrs. Bambi Famous Kaine, President, Katelyn Joy Derstine Scholarship Fund, Inc.
Mother of Katelyn Joy Derstine
941-780-6422
www.fly-high-kjd.com

May 7, 2008, Sarasota, Florida – The Education Foundation of Sarasota County, Inc. is pleased to announce that the Katelyn Joy Derstine Scholarship Fund, Inc., “Fly High Award” established in 2007 in memory of Katelyn Joy Derstine will provide scholarships for deserving Sarasota young women annually. Katelyn's family created the award as a tribute to the legacy she left and the profound impact she had on the lives of many young adults in the Sarasota community in her twenty short years. A private dinner function to celebrate the accomplishments of the eleven finalists for the second annual award and scholarships will take place on Wednesday, May 7, at 6 PM, at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse in Sarasota. The finalists for the 2008 ” Fly High Award” are Riverview High School Seniors Andrea Acuna, Casey Clayton, Jenna Dahl, Courtney Kalahar, Kate Magill, Marissa Martinelli, Phoung Nguyen, Elizabeth Oakley, Cassandra Pietrantone, Ashley Snyder and Morgan Taylor.

Katelyn graduated from Riverview where her long list of leadership roles, activities, and honors included Highland Dancer, Homecoming Queen, and president of the Key Club. She was a violinist in both the Riverview Orchestra and the Florida West Coast Youth Symphony and a 2004 debutante. Tragically, she lost her life in a car crash on June 15, 2006, as she began her junior year as an Environmental Horticulture student at the University of Florida. The Fly High Award was inspired by Katelyn's fondness for butterflies and her words, "Once while I was struggling to climb, I asked God to give me a sign. A sign that would tell me You were thinking about me and still loving me…to give me the strength to keep climbing. He did…He gave me a BUTTERFLY."

Bambi Famous Kaine, president of the memorial fund, shares these thoughts about her daughter, "Words cannot express what a precious child Katelyn was to all of us. She was perfect in so many ways, inside and out. Her beauty was just radiant. Katelyn was such a pleasing child and never was grounded! God truly must have needed a special angel, as she truly was ours.

Paul Gallagher, assistant principal and International Baccalaureate Program coordinator at Katelyn's alma mater, Riverview High School, suggested her parents talk with representatives of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County about establishing a scholarship in her memory."But ... her life, specifically, is not about what she did, but about who she was -- her spirit, her soul, her kindness, her karma and her light," Gallagher said. "To know her was to be in the presence of Part Tinkerbell, and Part Warrior."

The award honoring Katelyn's life is open annually to Riverview High School senior graduating females who plan to further their education at accredited colleges or universities. Each candidate is required to demonstrate character traits exemplified by Katelyn Joy Derstine through volunteer and community involvement, an essay, and reference letters from teachers and/or the principal. Last year a total of $8500 in scholarships were awarded to the 2007 recipients and this year over $11,000 will be distributed. The outpouring of support from the Sarasota community, including last week’s first annual fundraiser held at and donated in kind by Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine, generated over $8500.

Dedicated to quality education for all children, the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, Inc. is an independent, not-for-profit organization that works in partnership with the community and the Sarasota County School District. The Education Foundation provides the Extra Edge of Excellence to our community’s schools by raising much-needed funds and providing educational opportunities that benefit Sarasota County public school children through the generosity of a caring community. Contact the Education Foundation at (941) 927-0965, or visit EdFoundation.net #####