Volume I - February 2015

Welcome to “News from the Pitch”, a quarterly newsletter intended to keep friends, family and sustaining contributors updated on progress to date in our efforts to build and sustain the Edward J. Robinson Scholarship Fund.

On this, the six month anniversary of Ed’s death, we have made significant progress with the following:

• The Connecticut Grey Rugby Football Club is moving towards finalizing the 501(c) (3) tax exempt status under which The Edward J. Robinson Scholarship Fund will reside.

• An outline of criteria for the scholarship is being developed.

• We have a web site.  Interested parties can now use the “Contact Us” form to request information, share input or send fond memories of Ed at www.ejrscholarship.org.

• Other web site features and social media will be active in the near future outlining planned activities and events.

Rugby was Ed's passion. Over the years he played with the New York Rugby Club, the New York Athletic Club, Dunamis Rugby Club, and the Connecticut Grey Rugby Football Club. He was involved with the USA Sevens and later co-founded the Cheshire Youth Rugby Program. Ed was a gifted motivator and role model. His enthusiasm and encouragement touched the lives of many people. We feel this scholarship honors him by embracing the things that were most important to him – family, friends, citizenship, and helping others - especially young adult aspiring athletes. Our hearts are full from the love and support you have shown us. We will be sure to keep you apprised of our continued progress and future events. 

Thank you for helping us make this happen!


Sincerely,

The Robinson Family

NEWS FROM THE PITCH

Volume II - August 2015

July 21, 2015 marked the one year anniversary of Edward Jay Robinson's Passing.

Thanks to your continued, generous support along with that of our partners, we have made significant progress in bringing this very important endeavor to fruition. 

Over the past year we networked aggressively with rugby organizations in the Northeast and we have made some great friends and a lot of progress spreading the word. We are thrilled by the overwhelming excitement of the rugby community that a scholarship for a young rugby player now exists. In addition to our ongoing efforts to spread the word, here are some highlights we would like to share.

March 2015
This was an active and exciting time!  Our first formal board meeting was held during which the structure and implementation of the Edward J. Robinson Scholarship Fund was formed. 

• Final details and paperwork were completed for 501(C)3 Non-Profit Status. The application was filed with the IRS and is under final review.

• Our website, www.EJRscholarship.org is live!  Donations can be made via this site and information on how to apply for the scholarship is available here.

• Our social media is also up and there is a feed on the website.

• Like us on Facebook - EJRScholarship.

• Follow us on Twitter - @EJRScholarship.

April 2015
• On April 11, 2015 we held our first fundraiser during an all day, all ages tournament in Meriden, CT in conjunction with the CT Grey RFC. Thanks to CT Grey President, Kevin McNamara and his kind donation of a 48" TV, we sold raffle tickets and raised almost $600! 

• We also had a chance to watch some great rugby, spread the word about the scholarship and meet some potential future applicants!

May 2015
• Scholarship applications were disseminated to The Cheshire Youth Rugby Program by coaches of both the boys' and girls' teams. Ed co-founded this youth rugby program 10 years ago and the board of the Edward J. Robinson Scholarship Fund agreed to start small in 2015 and offer the award exclusively to players in this program. In 2016, we plan to extend the opportunity to apply to all of CT, NY and possibly MA.

• Completed applications were returned and evaluated by our Selection Committee.

June 2015
• On Sunday, June 14, 2015, we presented our First Annual Edward J. Robinson Scholarship Awards to Adaobi Okoro and Morgan Hernandez of Cheshire High School. These two extraordinary young ladies demonstrated a passion for the game of rugby along with integrity and compassion for others. Thanks to your generous donations, we awarded each of these recipients a $1,000 scholarship.  Please visit our website to learn more about our recipients and their future college plans!

The Future 2016
Please let us know if you would like to get involved. We appreciate your generous donations and efforts to grow our scholarship fund. 100% of all donations are currently being allocated to the scholarship. Website and marketing costs have all been paid for separately. Our goal for 2016 is to award two scholarships of at least $5000 each. Please spread the word and help us reach our goal!

 

Sincerely,

The Robinson Family and Scholarship Committee

 
Donations can be made online at www.EJRScholarship.org, or by clicking the link below!

Checks can be made payable to The CT Grey RFC with EJR Scholarship in the memo line and mailed to:

Edward J. Robinson Scholarship Fund 
P.O. Box 123Marion, CT 06444-0123​