Hello Everyone.
Thank you for your kind words and thoughts about our son, Nathan (aka SmallFry). We continue to stop by and read the posts on this board from time to time and it reminds us of the impact our son has had on this world in his short time with us. As you can probably guess, this last year as been a different and difficult journey for us. We are constantly reminded of Nate in everything we see and do and sometimes that brings a laugh and a smile to our face and other times tears. We continue to miss him terribly but are constantly working on adjusting to life without him. Nathan had a big impact on the people around him, and we are reaping the benefits of that with the support we receive from everyone that knew him. The continued support from the people on this board is just one example.
Nathan was in Boy Scouts and was presented his Eagle Scout rank only a few weeks before the accident. The scout families from his troop came to our side and were there at every step of our journey this past year. Two of his fellow scouts mowed our lawn (not a small task) all of last summer so we didn't have to worry about replacing the garden tractor or keeping up with the chore while we were in the depths of grief. This past spring, the Boy Scout Council (which covers about a third of the state of Wisconsin) put on an event honoring all of the Eagle Scouts of 2013 and invited our family to accept a special recognition just for Nathan. And this fall they will erect a flag pole at one of the camps and dedicate it in his memory so scouts for years to come will remember him as they raise the flags. Scouts was such a big part of Nathan's life (he told me he couldn't remember a time when he wasn't a scout) that we are creating a foundation that will provide some financial assistance to scouts working on Eagle Scout projects. This will be seeded with the money that Nathan had saved growing up, memorial money we received at his passing, and a donation from our family. We are hopeful to get this foundation funded to a point where it can support Eagle Scout candidates for generations to come.
The only thing Nate might have spent more time at than GeekHack was school (notice I said might). Nathan not only attended Wilmot Union High School in Wilmot, WI, but he also worked there over the summers in the IT department. The school has really tried to honor Nate's memory in a number of ways. In the fall of last year they held a 5K that mkawa was talking about in his video to help us raise money for the Ronald McDonald house where we stayed for the 2 weeks that Nathan was in the hospital before he passed away. (As a side note, please consider donating to the Ronald McDonald House in your community. I don't know what we would have done without them.) In the winter, the Wrestling team dedicated one of the wrestling meets to Nathan and installed a plaque on the scoreboard that he rebuilt as his Eagle Scout project. As graduation approached, the school presented an honorary diploma to us at the senior awards night. I have attached a video of the presentation given by the director of the IT department (his boss and his friend) below. And finally, at graduation (this past school year would have been his senior year) every one of the graduation speakers talked about Nathan and they called his name with the roll call of the other students receiving diplomas and it was greeted with a standing ovation.
Honorary Diploma
This year the High School contacted us and told us they would like to make the 5K an annual event as a part of the homecoming festivities. The 5K will be held on Wednesday, October 8th at the high school in Wilmot. The school also asked if we would consider using the proceeds to set up a scholarship fund in Nathan's name to be awarded to a Wilmot student pursuing a career in technology. We agreed and are working with the school to set up selection criteria and are excited to find another way to give back to our community and keep Nathan's legacy alive. I recognize that most of you will be unable to attend, but if you can, we would love to see you at the 5K. If you are interested in getting a shirt and supporting the scholarship fund, I have provided a link to the registration page below. Please indicate on your registration form that you want the shirt mailed to you and provide a shipping address. I sent shirts to many of you last year and am happy to provide that service again if you would like. It is helpful if you register early, as Homecoming week is a hectic time at the school.
http://wilmothighschool.com/2014/06/2nd-annual-nate-walter-5k/
As always, thank you so much for all that this community has done for my son, both before the accident and after. It is the support and stories we read on this site along with the support we receive from the other communities that Nate was involved with that have given us the strength we have needed this past year. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, words cannot express our gratitude.
Best Regards,
LargeFry
