By Mary Ann Bourbeau
RED BANK – “Be extraordinary at everything you do.”
That was Kelly Anne Gordon’s motto, and she tried her best to live up to it. Though she died much too soon, at the age of 22, Gordon achieved quite a bit in her short life.
Now Red Bank Catholic, the school from which she graduated in 2010, wants to help other students be extraordinary by offering a Kelly Ann Gordon Memorial Scholarship. RBC also will offer Inspire Grants that will help teachers launch new programs, add innovations to their classrooms or study something that will impact their students.
“The funds will inspire the extraordinary, a fitting tribute to Kelly,” said Gail Slevin, director of advancement at Red Bank Catholic. “She was a terrific kid and a larger-than-life person. What happened to her was a tragedy beyond words. She was about to burst on the scene and show the world what it means to be extraordinary.”
Gordon died on April 10 after she was hit by a cab in New York City. She was slated to receive her diploma one month later from the Carroll School of Business at Boston College, where she was majoring in management with concentrations in finance, marketing, and management and leadership. She was also on the investment board at Smart Woman Securities and was actively involved in raising money for Relay for Life.
“Everyone at Red Bank Catholic is heartbroken,” Slevin said. “But we are honored to be entrusted with part of her legacy and we will work hard to do it justice.”
Gordon’s friends, Kelley Ford and Samantha Berardo, and her stepsister, Ali Axt, organized a fundraiser at the Manhattan Sailing Club, where Gordon worked along with Axt. The event, which took place Sept. 28, offered auction items, such as tickets to the Count Basie Theatre and Rachael Ray Show, a round of golf at the Trump National Golf Club, a gift certificate to Woody’s Ocean Grille in Sea Bright and surfing and sailing lessons. The sold-out event raised between $10,000 and $12,000.
The proceeds will fund an annual scholarship for an incoming freshman who has demonstrated a desire to be extraordinary at something they are passionate about. The Inspire Grants will be awarded to teachers who want to introduce a new club or program, or purchase tools that will help ignite a passion in their students.
Ford said she met Gordon during freshman year at RBC and the two became fast friends. They vacationed together and even held their Sweet 16 parties together.
“Kelly was very driven and had an entrepreneurial spirit,” said Ford, who lives in Atlantic Highlands. “She was always thinking of others before herself. There is a big void in my life without her.”
Ford said she plans to make the RBC fundraiser an annual event. “We want to keep her memory alive,” she said.
Donations to the Kelly Ann Gordon Memorial Fund can be made by sending checks to the Red Bank Catholic Office of Advancement, 112 Broad St., Red Bank, N.J. 07701. Checks should be made out to Red Bank Catholic. Please indicate that the donation is for Kelly’s fund. Donations can also be made online at www.redbankcatholic.org.
