Scholarship Fund Honors Simmons

The Corydon Democrat

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

The family and friends of Alex Simmons have created a scholarship fund at the Harrison County Community Foundation to honor and

remember the late Alex Simmons, a former student at South Central Junior-Senior High School who died a year ago.

The Alex Simmons Memorial Scholarship Fund will benefit graduating seniors of South Central who plan to attend a certified vocational

training program. A memorial scholarship will also be created in Meade County, Ky., where Simmons attended grades one through eight,

to benefit graduating seniors of Meade County High School.

Simmons was a native of Clark County, born Sept. 22, 1989, the son of Kathy and David Simmons.Alex Simmons also has a brother

and sister-in-law, Eric and Melissa Simmons of Brandenburg, and a niece, Alicia, His grandparents are Bud and Cletice McRae and

Lucille Simmons, all of Elizabeth.

Alex was a freshman at South Central where he played baseball and ran cross country. He also enjoyed deer hunting, skateboarding and

spending lots of time with his friends. He was a member of Buck Grove Baptist Church at Ekron, Ky.

His mother, Kathy Simmons, said Alex was a giving person who enjoyed helping others. “This is why I wanted to create this scholarship

fund,” she said. “He would be very proud.”  Alex was formerly a member of a Boy Scout Troop in Brandenburg, where he participated

in food drives around the holidays. His mother was vice president of the Meade County Optimist Club, and Alex enjoyed working

with her on Optimist’s projects to help children.

The first scholarship will be awarded to the Class of 2008, the year Alex would have graduated. The award will support a graduating senior

pursuing a certified vocational training program.  This is the third scholarship fund created at the Harrison County Community Foundation

to specifically benefit graduating seniors of

South Central.

Alex died Nov. 23, 2005, in an automobile accident. He was 16. He is buried at Evans Landing Cemetery near Elizabeth.

The Foundation provided a matching gift to create this fund, and any additional donation is also eligible for a

dollar-for-dollar match, up to $25,000.

Anyone who wishes to make a donation to the Alex Simmons Memorial Scholarship Fund may contact the HCCF staff at 738-6668

or mail donations to the Foundation, P.O. Box 279, Corydon, IN 47112. Checks should be made out to Harrison County Community

Foundation with the name of the scholarship fund in the memo line.