Jacob Askew Fund and Scholarship Recalls the Joy of Sport and Friends
Jacob Askew’s Air Force photo. Courtesy of the Askew family.
By Kip Tabb
Jacob Askew lost his life on a Texas highway in November of last year when a driver, driving on the wrong side of the road, slammed into his car. He was 22 years old at the time and serving in the Air Force at Cannon AFB in eastern New Mexico.
“Nothing will ever be normal anymore,” his father JP said. “He was our pride and joy, and I just don’t want his name to be forgotten.”
Jacob, a former student at First Flight High School, was a fan of soccer. He loved the sport, was on championship winning teams while in high school, and played the game whenever he had a chance, even at Cannon AFB.
That love for the sport began with Jacob playing for OBX Storm Soccer Club.
After the accident, Jacob’s soccer friends started a fundraising campaign “because they didn’t know what kind of expenses we might have, or what he might have,” said his mother Liz.
And then, said Liz, “The guys at Cannon, which is like his squad, his teammates, they did the same thing.”
However, the Air Force handled all the funeral arrangements, laying Jacob to rest with full military honors.
Jacob’s parents, after getting the money from the two fundraising campaigns, knew they didn’t need the money and
looked for what they could do with it.
“We wanted to give back something real. We wanted to do something in his name,” JP added.
The Askews decided to divide the money into two funds, which will be administered by the Outer Banks Community Foundation (OBCF), in honor of Jacob.
They created the Jacob Askew Memorial Scholarship Fund, which is still growing so that, when scholarships are awarded, students will receive annual scholarship support for up to four years of their undergraduate college career.
The scholarship, when it is ready to be awarded, will be a little bit different than most scholarships.
“We want somebody who’s maybe an athlete, but maybe not getting an athletic scholarship. A good student, a motivated person, but maybe not necessarily straight A’s. Somebody who does some things in the community,” Liz explained.
Jacob Askew playing soccer for First Flight High School. Photo courtesy of the Askew family.
The other fund, though, may fully reflect who Jacob was. It is the Jacob Askew Memorial Fund for OBX Storm, which has been established for the OBX Storm Soccer Club, and will, Liz and JP hope, keep their son’s memory alive as a part of the community.
The fund, Liz said, would be distributed by the Community Foundation and “they (OBX Storm) can use it for equipment or scholarships, or maybe travel expenses for kids who can’t pay to travel for soccer.”
For OBX Storm president Dave Facenda, the need for scholarships to give more kids a chance to participate is important to the organization.
“We offer as many as we can every season, but there is always more need than supply,” said Facenda. “This season we were able to offer 18 scholarships and hope to continue to grow that number. Liz and JP’s beautiful gesture has allowed us to bolster the number of scholarships we offer and help those in need. A fitting way to remember an OBX Storm soccer player who was, as our Director of Coaching Steve Smalley remembers, ‘a good young man and great teammate’.”
Liz also notes that another reason they set up the new funds with OBCF, was to have a place to send people.
“The community has been unbelievable,” she said. “People keep approaching us wanting to know how they can help. Now, this is the direction we will send them.”
Jacob doing what he loved most- playing soccer. Photo courtesy of the Askew family.
For JP the chance to give back to his community and keep the memory of his son alive has been humbling and important.
“I’m overwhelmed that we have the opportunity to do this for his name,” he said. “Jacob was a light. He was our pride and joy, and I just don’t want his name to be forgotten.”
Donations to the Jacob Askew Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Jacob Askew Memorial Fund for OBX Storm may be made by visiting OBCF.org, selecting donate now, and searching for Askew in the fund search.
It has never been easier to create or contribute to a fund at the Outer Banks Community Foundation. For more information about creating or contributing to a fund, please visit OBCF.org or call (252) 423-3003.
About the Outer Banks Community Foundation: The Outer Banks Community Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to fostering philanthropy and supporting local causes. Through its charitable funds and grant programs, the Foundation strives to enrich the quality of life for residents of the Outer Banks.
