Seneca Black Elk Mathews Scholarship
Donation protected
We need your help to fund this year's scholarship. After all of the fundraising efforts we are $15,000 short of creating another endowed scholarship for Native American youth at Oklahoma State University.
On February 10, 2012, a drunk driver tragically killed Seneca Black Elk Mathews. Seneca had worked for several Oklahoma tribal gaming operations after graduating high school. He was one of the most giving people in the world and was one of the first to respond when an F5 tornado hit Joplin, Mo. on May 22nd, 2011, killing 161 people. He borrowed his dad's truck and went to help team members from Downstream Casino Resort to recover what they could. The next day he would take his co-workers to the destruction so they could all help others. For the next two weeks he continued to drive the streets of Joplin helping anyone who needed assistance. That is who he was. He loved to give to others and be there for them.
People loved Seneca and Seneca loved people and at the age of 27, he had a lifetime of dreams to fulfill. One of those dreams was to attend Oklahoma State University. The family is still working to recover from this tragedy and put the pieces of their lives together. While they accept Seneca’s dream will not come true for him, they believe something positive can come from this. To that end, they have decided to honor Seneca by helping others with their dream of attending OSU by establishing a scholarship in his name.
These are three of the receiptants who are currently attending OSU along with Seneca's Parents, J R & Beth Mathews.
These scholarships are four of only 25 that are designated for Native American students attending OSU, and yet, OSU has one of the highest graduation rates of Native Americans in the United States.
Through a softball tournament, a Brisket Burnout competition of Oklahoma casino chefs, an awesome golf tournament and the selling of memorial items such as casino memorial chips, they are on their way to achieving the goal of another $50,000 for the next scholarship, but they need your help. The family's goal is to raise $500,000 in ten years so that ten scholarships in Seneca's name will endure. It will allow Oklahoma State to be able to award more undergraduate and graduate scholarships to Native Americans. It will be through efforts of people like you and the help of the family and supporters that we attain this lofty goal.
Seneca would have been so proud of everyone that has stepped up to help. He was one of the most giving people around. If he saw a person in need, he felt it was his obligation to help, even if it meant giving the coat off his back to an elderly gentleman in the casino who was cold and telling him that it was a coat he no longer wore; yet, this was a coat he wore every day to work but did not want to embarrass the gentleman. A true friend and giver.
People wishing to help and wanting a tax credit can send donations directly to OSU by making checks payable to “OSU Foundation” and write in the notes section “Seneca Black Elk Mathews Memorial Scholarship Fund #20-98780.”
On February 10, 2012, a drunk driver tragically killed Seneca Black Elk Mathews. Seneca had worked for several Oklahoma tribal gaming operations after graduating high school. He was one of the most giving people in the world and was one of the first to respond when an F5 tornado hit Joplin, Mo. on May 22nd, 2011, killing 161 people. He borrowed his dad's truck and went to help team members from Downstream Casino Resort to recover what they could. The next day he would take his co-workers to the destruction so they could all help others. For the next two weeks he continued to drive the streets of Joplin helping anyone who needed assistance. That is who he was. He loved to give to others and be there for them.
People loved Seneca and Seneca loved people and at the age of 27, he had a lifetime of dreams to fulfill. One of those dreams was to attend Oklahoma State University. The family is still working to recover from this tragedy and put the pieces of their lives together. While they accept Seneca’s dream will not come true for him, they believe something positive can come from this. To that end, they have decided to honor Seneca by helping others with their dream of attending OSU by establishing a scholarship in his name.
These are three of the receiptants who are currently attending OSU along with Seneca's Parents, J R & Beth Mathews.
These scholarships are four of only 25 that are designated for Native American students attending OSU, and yet, OSU has one of the highest graduation rates of Native Americans in the United States.
Through a softball tournament, a Brisket Burnout competition of Oklahoma casino chefs, an awesome golf tournament and the selling of memorial items such as casino memorial chips, they are on their way to achieving the goal of another $50,000 for the next scholarship, but they need your help. The family's goal is to raise $500,000 in ten years so that ten scholarships in Seneca's name will endure. It will allow Oklahoma State to be able to award more undergraduate and graduate scholarships to Native Americans. It will be through efforts of people like you and the help of the family and supporters that we attain this lofty goal.
Seneca would have been so proud of everyone that has stepped up to help. He was one of the most giving people around. If he saw a person in need, he felt it was his obligation to help, even if it meant giving the coat off his back to an elderly gentleman in the casino who was cold and telling him that it was a coat he no longer wore; yet, this was a coat he wore every day to work but did not want to embarrass the gentleman. A true friend and giver.
People wishing to help and wanting a tax credit can send donations directly to OSU by making checks payable to “OSU Foundation” and write in the notes section “Seneca Black Elk Mathews Memorial Scholarship Fund #20-98780.”
Organizer
Willis Mathews Jr
Organizer
Miami, OK