Danvers Babe Ruth Scholarships

Danvers Babe Ruth Baseball is pleased to once again be offering the Steven W. Bekel Memorial Scholarship and the Thomas Goniprow Memorial Scholarship to honor the memory of these two young men that loved the game of baseball and were taken from us much too soon. All graduating seniors that participated in Danvers Babe Ruth Baseball are eligible for the Steven W. Bekel Memorial Scholarship and all graduating seniors that participated in Danvers Senior Babe Ruth Baseball are eligible for the Thomas Goniprow Memorial Scholarship.

Thomas Goniprow passed away Aug. 6, 2005, at the age of 20, after a two-year ordeal with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  He was active in youth sports and played football, basketball and baseball at the high school on various levels.  Because of his love for the game, Thomas continued to participate in Danvers Babe Ruth Baseball even after his diagnosis, and was an inspiration to all that played alongside him.

On May 9, 2009, Bekel, a 15-year-old freshman from Danvers, died at a Boston hospital, a day after he was involved in a single-car crash in which his father William was killed. The father and son were driving south on Conant Street at around 5 p.m. on Friday, May 8 when the vehicle struck a telephone pole on the opposite side of the street.   They were on their way to a Danvers Babe Ruth game when the accident occurred.

Bekel was a member of the 2009 freshman basketball team at St. John's Prep in Danvers, where he was a student.   He was an active participant in Danvers youth sports, including soccer, baseball and basketball.   He was also on the Red Sox in the Danvers Babe Ruth League and in 2008 he won an award for sportsmanship.

Requirements and applications are available at the Danvers High School guidance office.  Students that do not attend Danvers High School are also eligible and can obtain an application directly from Danvers Babe Ruth by e-mail (president@danversbaberuth.com).   All applications must be received by April 1, 2014.

Those wishing to donate to help offset the cost of these scholarships should send donations to Danvers Babe Ruth, PO Box 2182, Danvers, MA 01923.