Contact
John Sailer
561-637-2576
For Immediate Release
April 8, 2007
Safety-focused Foundation Established in Memory of Son –
Including $10,000 Scholarship for a Local Student
Pembroke Pines, FL – Constance and Robert McGee, retired school teachers, spent their working years educating Broward County students. Now, as retirees, they are educators on a larger scale, with a vital message for a much bigger audience. They seek to educate consumers in Florida and the country regarding safety issues. The reason behind this grass-roots effort: a tragic car fire that took the life of their 13-year-old son, Shane, many years ago. After a long recovery from their own injuries, they became fighters, researchers, and champions for the cause of au tom obile safety – winning a large judgment in court from the manufacturer of the station wagon that caught fire due to a known fuel-tank defect. It was a long, arduous legal process that ultimately inspired creation of a private organization and a scholarship fund. The McGees, along with their daughter, Kelly, proudly announce the formation of the Shane McGee Foundation, a 501(c)3 registered in Florida .
Although the painful incident took place over a decade ago, the McGee family is passionate about consumer safety, and has formed this private non-profit organization to work toward that very cause. They seek to info rm and protect consumers with regards to unsafe, defective products. The south-Florida-based organization and its efforts have now been officially launched, and the opportunity for receiving the memorial scholarship award has been shared with Broward County school students.
One of the organization’s first official acts was to create this annual scholarship in Shane’s name, to benefit two local high school students. The Shane McGee Foundation Memorial Scholarship allows two deserving students with an interest in the legal field to pursue their education and career goal. The $5,000 scholarships will go to two ’07 graduating seniors, who are selected from the field of applicants. Participating schools include: Flanagan High School , Pembroke Pines Charter High School , McArthur High School , and Cooper City High School .
Applicants are submitting an application form and a 1,000-word essay to compete for the scholarship. They must also supply two letters of recommendation from school faculty, community service organizations, and/or an employer. Applications are being collected in early April.
“I don’t know what career Shane would have had as an adult,” said his mother, Connie. “But I do know that he would have gone to college. He loved the University of Miami and the Hurricanes.”
“We’re very happy to be able to honor his memory in this special, meaningful way,” added Robert McGee. “There are many good works planned that Shane’s foundation will enact.”
The McGee Foundation’s Board of Directors will review the applications and essays and select the scholarship recipients. A special event will be planned to officially announce and recognize the winners. The scholarship will be paid directly to the recipient’s college of choice. This scholarship is just one element in a comprehensive, grass-roots effort that will be affected by The Shane McGee Foundation. Additional charitable events that spread the message of consumer safety are planned. The organization provides an info rmative website, www.shanemcgeefoundation.org.