Michael McCarthy of #MiddletownRI was taken too soon in a tragic accident 20 years ago today. But family and friends continue to work hard to spread love and good in his name. Visit Michael to give.
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CONTACT: Matt Sheley at (401) 842-6543 or msheley@middletownri.com
McCARTHY SCHOLARSHIP TRANSITIONING TO RHODE ISLAND FOUNDATION, CONTINUES TO CHANGE LIVES FOR GOOD
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (SEPTEMBER 10, 2024) – It’s been 20 years since the passing of Michael E. McCarthy and good is still coming from his tragic death.
In the wake of a Sept. 10, 2004 accident in Foxboro, Massachusetts after a New England Patriots game, a scholarship was created in the name and spirit of the 27-year-old Middletown High School graduate.
McCarthy’s mother Janet said when the Michael E. McCarthy Scholarship was established later that month, the community responded with an outpouring of love and support, something that’s never waned.
She said the community of people who Michael loved and who loved him and her family in return has consistently been the major donors. That community support, both monetarily and emotionally, remains the mainstay of the scholarship’s continued success, a true testament to the power of love.
To date, more than $250,000 in scholarship awards and Youth Sports Grants have been provided to deserving local youth. That includes graduating students at Middletown High School, Tiverton High School, Rogers High School and Stonehill College as well as Youth Sports Grants, which provide local families with support for their children and activities promoting healthy lifestyles.
She said the recipients of the scholarship were chosen not only for their academics, but for their commitment to family, friends, school and community as well, all traits that defined her son.
Moving forward, the Michael E. McCarthy Scholarship Fund is going to be managed and overseen by the Rhode Island Foundation, the Providence-based nonprofit that aims to improve the lives of all of those in The Ocean State.
“I believe everything happens for a reason, but sometimes it’s hard to see or know what that reason is,” Janet McCarthy told the town recently. “Honestly, I’m proud of the community and those who are sometimes overlooked — the people who knew Michael and came together in support of him and who he was to help this scholarship reach levels I never dreamed possible.
“Michael taught us that perfection is not necessary, but being a good person is. He was a ‘stand up’ guy whose heart was genuine and his love for family, friends and community was true. He loved life and lived it to the fullest, touching many people along the way.”
Retired now, Janet talks proudly about her time as a guidance counselor at Middletown High and then working as a community liaison for the Navy, making a difference one person at a time.
She and her late husband Edward — a history teacher at Thompson Middle School in Newport — worked hard to instill the importance of treating everyone “the way they would like to be treated” in their children, Michael, Kelly and Rian.
Based on the stories and outpouring of support in the wake of Michael’s death, Janet McCarthy said that she and Ed realized they had taught their children well. Michael, Kelly and Rian’s friends came from all over the country to be with them.
“Michael was the type of person who brought people together,” McCarthy said. “It didn’t matter who. He was just a regular guy who people liked and trusted. If there was not a plan for the day, Michael would get on the phone, gathering at least 20 of his best friends together for a bike ride or a game of something, always with a goal of having as much fun as possible.”
Michael returned to the area after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to be closer to family and pursue a meaningful job here after working Boston and San Francisco.
That was as a special education resource teacher at Tiverton High along with serving on the school’s coaching staff for its football and freshman baseball teams. He also gave his time as an assistant basketball coach at Middletown High, where he graduated in 1995.
Going through her son’s effects after the accident, McCarthy found something in his wallet that amazed her.
“There wasn’t a lot of money,” McCarthy said, chuckling. “That wasn’t a surprise. But I found a clipping (from the newspaper) for a birth announcement for (now Town Councilor) Chris Logan’s oldest son Christopher. I was floored by that. To hang onto something like that and have it in his wallet? That tells me what was really important to Mike.”
McCarthy said deciding to move the fund to the Rhode Island Foundation wasn’t easy, but it made sense knowing the organization already awards scholarships to hundreds of young people every year.
“We’re able to offer scholarships due the incredible generosity of donors who understand that investing in a young person’s education can enrich their future,” said David N. Cicilline, the Foundation’s president and CEO. "It’s really a wonderful act of philanthropy. The impact of these scholarships will be felt for years to come as the recipients graduate, join the workforce and contribute to civic life of their communities.”
There, she said the scholarship will continue on and positively impact generations to come.
“The scholarship has been wonderful and there are so many stories to come from it,” McCarthy said. “Everyone has been so supportive and we’ve seen this scholarship change lives.”
To give to the McCarthy Scholarship Fund, visit https://mdl.town/McCarthy-Scholarship online.
Asked what she thought her late son would have said about how much the scholarship fund has grown over the years, McCarthy laughed.
“He probably would have said ‘Holy (Toledo)! That’s a lot of money,” McCarthy said. “I think the thing that would have touched him the most was to know he made a difference. He was here for 27 years and he lived a lot in those years and his life impacted a lot of people.
“(Friends and family) talk about Mike all the time and one story or another comes up about growing up here. He’s always right there in the middle of the conversation and what a great place this was to grow up in 1995, 1996, 2000. It was the perfect place to be.”
One story that remains with the family is about “the feather.”
“Rian remembers watching a small white feather fall from the sky and land at my feet during Michael’s graveside ceremony at St. Columba’s Cemetery,” Janet said. “My sister Ann Marie Nevitt retrieved it and gave it to me. Over the last 20 years, members of my family have found white feathers — at what always seemed to be just the right moment — a reminder that there is always hope and love never ends.”
In closing, Janet asked everyone who knew her son or was touched by his story today to focus on what’s most important.
“May you all receive many white feathers along life’s way, exactly when you need them most,” Janet said.
Document Link: https://mdl.town/McCarthy