by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
The recipient of the Tom Bearson Foundation Spirit Award will be announced at an event Friday, June 17 at the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center with the New York Jets’ Eric Decker, Cold Spring native, as the keynote speaker.
The award is a $1,000 scholarship given in honor of Tom Bearson, the young Sartell man who was killed after he went missing Sept. 20, 2014 in the Fargo-Moorhead area. At the time, he was a student studying nursing in his first quarter at North Dakota State University. His murder remains unsolved.
At the June 17 public event, which is sponsored by Times Media, the top athletes and coaches of the past school year will be honored, in addition to the Spirit Award honoree. Tickets can be purchased at tickets.sctimes.com.
The Spirit Award is one of three $1,000 scholarships awarded annually by the foundation that honors the memory of Bearson. The “Spirit” was initiated by the non-profit Tom Bearson Foundation and the St. Cloud Times to recognize the achievements, dedication and positive spirit of a central Minnesota athlete. Bearson grew up loving basketball and was a superb player for the Sartell Sabre basketball team.
The Spirit recipient must plan to pursue a degree at a two- or four-year post-secondary school. The deadline for applying for the scholarship was May 15.
Guest speaker Eric Decker was born in Cold Spring and attended Rocori High School, excelling at several sports, especially football. He earned a degree in business and marketing from the University of Minnesota, where he also played football. After college, he was drafted by the Denver Broncos and played with that team from 2010 to 2013. The next year, he joined the New York Jets and still plays as a wide receiver for that team.
During his career, Decker has had 2,156 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns.
In 2013, Decker marred country singer Jessie James. They have two children – Vivianne Rose, 2; and Eric Thomas Decker II, nine months.
Tom Bearson inspired the Spirit Award, a $1,000 scholarship given annually to a student-athlete in the area.
Cold Spring native Eric Decker, now a member of the New York Jets, will be the keynote speaker at a June 17 honors event at the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center.
