Brent Austin Schum

Hi, my name is Grant Schum. I created this Go Fund Me to create a memorial for my late younger brother, Brent Schum. Brent was an amazing young man. Growing up, he excelled at everything, from art to hockey. From mechanics to welding. And he even got some distilling experience in his life, experimenting with creating his own distilled spirits with the dream to open his own distillery. My brother was an amazing person and he amazed my family and myself with everything he did. If he put his mind to it, he did it. For example, bbq. My brother never had an clue in the world how to bbq. One day when he was 19 years old I asked him "what would you like for Christmas?". His response, "I want a smoker". I got this kid a masterbilt smoker for Christmas that year and about 2 weeks later, he made his first pulled pork in that smoker. Im not sure what book he read (very unlikely he read a book) or what video he watched on you tube, but that was the best pulled pork I had ever had. The next thing he made was brisket. Again, the first time he ever made brisket in his life, and it was amazing. 9f course he was critical of himself of how it could be better. He made bbq all the time and it got to the point our local country grocery store, Baldwins in Alexander N.Y, knew him by name. This kid (Brent) excelled at any and everything. The next project he took on, a 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle. I remember the day he brought this thing home. It was spring of 2020. COVID-19 just hit. And my brother had just graduated Alfred State college with a degree in Welding Technology. He landed a job at Graham Corporation. He sent me a snap chat one day in this chevelle going down the road....being towed by someone's pickup truck. Then was that afternoon when I stopped home afterwork and actually got to see this thing. I remember just thinking "holy sh*t, Brent has his work cut out for him. " this car was a rust bucket. But Brent was a welder and as I watched him work on it, I found out he was a pretty damn good fabricator. With every weld he amazed me with how he manipulated the metal to form the way he wanted with the most primitive tools in our barn. Fast forward to 2021. Brent is waist deep into this project. He has a new trunk installed, new quarter panels and rockers and a floor ready to go in. Him with help from his buddies Danny, Justin and myself, is working on fitting in the floor. At this time Brent is on second shift at Graham and just took the position as shop foreman. Becoming a shop Foreman within a year and a half of being there is something that made both of my parents, Susan (mother) and Gary (father) so proud. They were extremely proud of Brent. Not only for his accomplishment of being able to excel so fast in the work force, but also for his talents and skills. Come to August and September of 2021. Brent is now working on interviewing for a supervisor position. From what he told me it sounded like he went through two rounds of interviews. It was at this point, things had turned. It was a Monday night, October 18th. I was on a bowling league and we finished that night so I headed over to my Dad's house in Alexander. Once I got there, I said hi and decided to hangout for a little bit. Probably around 9:30pm or 10:00pm I see Brent's truck rolled into the driveway. I remember making the joke to my dad "uh oh. Brent must have gotten fired. He's home early". Brent walked in the door and I asked him why he was home and his response was "I'm not feeling good." He went into the bathroom after that. That was the last time I talked to my brother. He past away that night at the young age of 22 years old. Today, I am now working on finishing this 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle for my Brother. Unfortunately I have no fabrication experience or knowledge, I myself am an electrician. I have nowhere near the talent or knowledge that Brent had. On absolutely anything. I am sending his Chevelle out to be built and it will be a memorial to him. My plan: build the 1972 Chevelle to the perfection Brent would have wanted. Paint it candy apple red or International Harvester red with black racing stripes. Get green and orange stitching on the seats (green and orange were his favorite colors). Install a radio with a cassette player and only keep Pink Floyds album "Dark side of the moon" in it. Install a 383 stroker for the engine. For details in the paint, I want to put an I.H (International Harvester) logo on the roof. My grandparents Earl and Jean Dominesey gifted him a vintage International Harvester 666 that my Grandfather purchased new for their dairy farm in Sheldon in 1972 (coincidence with the 1972 chevelle?). Brent was always seen wearing his gray and red I.H hat. The final detail that I want to include in the paint: I want Brent's name pinstriped on the driver side door. Brent had his best friend, Brian "Westy" West Jr., who passed away in in a automobile accident on July 10th, 2017. Brent was never the same after the passing of his best friend, Brian. But it atleast give my family and myself comfort that Brent is not alone up there, and that two best friends are at once, reunited. I am looking to raise money to finish, paint and power Brent's 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle in memory of him. I am looking for $15,000. I am myself putting $20,000 into this car. I hope forever on, this car will serve as a tribute to Brent. And the name of Brent on the driver side door and Brian on the passenger side will signify an everlasting and unbreakable friendship to two friends that were once separated but now reunited. Any remaining donations will be sent to the American Heart Association.

Thank you for the support!

Sincerely,

Grant Schum and the entire Schum family