HISTORY AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE GEORGE L. DAUDELIN SCHOLARSHIP FUND

 This fund was established in 2006; one year after George passed away on May 28, 2005, very unexpectedly from a massive heart attack at the age of 31.  At that time, George had $1,500.00 in his bank account.

 It was during a conversation that I had with him some time before he died, was how much he wanted to find something for average kids like him to do.  His exact words were “if you ain’t a jock or a geek, there isn’t anything for us to do.”  At that time, he was in the process of starting up a rehearsal studio with some friends. He said it would be “one stop shopping”.  After so many years of playing in so many bands and studios, he had a very specific vision of what he wanted. A rehearsal studio with all the necessities that a studio could furnish (i.e. drums; amps, speakers, etc.); a small shop to furnish any and all needs the musicians would look for…drum heads; sticks; guitar strings, picks, patch cords; a video/recording studio to make demos and music videos; a photographer to take promo pictures and head shots; a t-shirt shop; and a graphic artist who would draw up what the bands would want to use to promote their bands.  In short, he wanted to have the entire package in one location.  This venture included most of his friends he grew up with in Bloomfield and who all attended the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, CA.  Each one of his friends had a specialty that was going to be a big part of this studio.  From the time George came home from school he had so many non-traditional ideas for kids to get into music and really enjoy and appreciate it.

 We decided to form the scholarship fund from his savings, in his name, and try to keep his dreams and memory alive through awarding two $500.00 scholarships to Bloomfield High School Seniors to get that second chance to realize their dreams.  It has since grown in size, awards and donations to so many.

 Listed below is a chronology of some of our accomplishments:

 

  • 2006—The establishment of the George L. Daudelin Scholarship Fund
    • Award of two $500.00 Scholarships
  • 2007—The Scholarship Fund became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
    • Award of two $1,000.00 Scholarships
    • Donated $1,000.00 to the Bloomfield/Newark Elks to send a special needs child to Camp Moore for a week in the summer
    • Purchased and donated marching drums, harnesses and percussion instruments for Abington Avenue School (in Newark, where his sister Denise worked)…two days before he died he gave her a drum for the music program.
    • Started to make arrangements for the implementation of the after school program for the high school.
  • 2008—The Scholarship Fund was able to
    • Award three $1,000.00 Scholarships
    • Donate to both the Bloomfield/Newark Elks and Nutley Elks for the special needs children to attend Camp Moore for a week in the summer
    • Donated to the San Francisco Bay Area Wilderness Fund for one of George’s friends to do a mountain climb for at risk children
    • Donated monies to the Bonnie Brae Residential School Knights Drum Corps, who were invited to perform at President Obama’s Inauguration.  These young men are at risk, abused, abandoned neglect or a ward of the State. They were in need of new uniforms; drum equipment and transportation to Washington DC.  This struck at our heart, since George was a drummer.
    • The implementation of THE DEN, which is an afterschool program, monitored by Ms. Michelle Skull and Ms. Ilia Garcia, specifically geared for students to learn how to DJ.  The fund purchased equipment and paid for the instructor for two 12 week sessions; which also was popular enough to have a waiting list.
  • 2009—The scholarship fund was able to
    • Award two $1,000.00 scholarships
    • Donate to both the Bloomfield/Newark Elks and Nutley Elks for the special needs children to attend Camp Moore for a week in the summer
    • Donated to the San Francisco Bay Area Wilderness Fund for at risk children
    • Donated to the Bonnie Brae Residential School Knights Drum Corps.  This year we were able to make a donation of $1,000.00 and became a member of the trustees for the drum corps.
    • We also donated to several charities that  (either George, Denise and Louis knew and implemented) spanned a variety of venues.  SIDS; children with severe food allergies and for a family who lost their mother and several children in a holiday car accident .
    • The continued success of THE DEN, under the direction of Ms. Skull & Ms. Garcia.  This year we have a new /DJ instructor, Mr. Tim Arculli, who has taken the program to a new level with his creativity and enthusiasm.  We had several 12 week sessions as well as a summer session that went very well.
  • 2010—The scholarship fund was able to
    • Award one $1,000.00 scholarship
    • Awarded two book scholarships in the amount of $250.00 each
    • Support and establish a partnership with the Bloomfield Education Foundation in the implementation of the new music lab at Bloomfield High School. George would have loved the opportunity to participate in this new, creative and non-traditional music experience
    • Donate to the Bloomfield/Newark and Nutley Elks for the special needs children to attend Camp Moore for a week in the summer
    • Our continued success in the implementation and funding of THE DEN, under the direction of Ms. Michele Skull, Ms. Emily Savino and Mr. Tim Arculli.  This past year has been the best so far.  There is a waiting list for the upcoming session and we will continue to have summer sessions as well.