A Way To Honor Jack

We reported last week on the creation of the Jack Smiley Memorial Scholarship Fund and are pleased to announce that The Times will be making a modest contribution to the fund set up in honor of one this area's most respected sports figures.

We encourage our readers, particularly those in Prescott and those who knew Jack and what he stood for, to do so as well if they can, even if it's merely your week's coffee money.

Prescott alumni are encouraged to contribute the equivalent of their graduation year, so if you were a senior in, say, 2005, you'd send in a check for $20.05. Shouldn't break your bank.

The aim of scholarship initiator Jeff Foertsch, a WP middle school sports coach and social science teacher at Prescott, is to award one single $250 scholarship this first year to a graduating Tiger with a high GPA and a passion for pursuing sports-related and/or other extra-curricular achievement activities.

There are several reasons why The Times decided to help support the Jack Smiley Memorial Scholarship and why we hope others will too.

The scholarship is a way to make Jack's legacy of integrity and team building live on. Jack was a selfless mentor who spurred many Prescott, Waitsburg, Jubilee and Dayton students on to reach higher in life through sports and academic achievement.

He brought the kind of organization, coordination, coaches support and program standards to the fields and the courts that allowed teams to hold their heads high with pride of themselves and the districts they repre- sented.

When you saw Jack quietly on the sideline, you knew things were under control. He brought the kind of stability and calm behind the scenes that allowed players, teams and coaches to have fun and play the game. And in turn, that's what he thrived on personally.

It's his integrity and spirit that live on through this scholarship.

The Times is also a staunch proponent of encourag- ing students through sports and other extracurricular activities to follow a path through high school that has fewer distractions and temptations, to fill their days with healthy pursuits and crowd out unhealthy or dangerous ones.

This week, we're carrying a column about the risks and dangers of binge drinking that could start for some students while they're in high school. The same is true for other underage substance use or abuse.

We want to help our community provide as much encouragement to students who pursue athletic and constructive activities as possible. Jack's scholarship seems like a perfect way to do so.

We realize Jeff and his fellow teachers in the Prescott Education Association are starting out modestly because they don't know what the response will be from the com- munity and the alumni to their initiative.

But with Jack's popularity in all three districts in the valley and with the Smiley family's full support behind it, we feel the teachers' idea has the potential to blossom into something bigger, drawing support from many in the valley and beyond.

We all know the need is there, particularly in Prescott, where many families have dreams of a better future for their children but few have the means to make them come true. Every contribution along the way will help the scholarship recipient in tangible and morally sup- portive ways.

We wish Jeff and his group the best of luck in their outreach to prospective donors as they prepare for this year's graduation. Jack's spirit will be with us at the ceremony.