The Gift that keeps us Giving

It was a sunny morning on a South Carolina beach back in 2001 when thoughts of Cathy overwhelmed me, but in a good way. Catharine J. Gray loved the beach for its beauty and calming effects, and that’s the feeling I had as I walked by myself, thinking through the troubles I was having at the time. I was at a crossroads in my marriage, deciding whether to go all in or get all out. Cathy was there with me, calming and comforting me, whispering with each wave that everything was going to be okay. Even though my beautiful friend would never walk the beach sand again, she was there in spirit and in my heart, helping me once again. Cathy lived 30 years before succumbing to Hodgkin’s disease. Before she died, she told our group of close friends she wished we could donate a beach wheelchair so that those unable to walk the sand could still experience the beach the way she did. That wish turned into 20+ years of charity work by a tight circle of high school friends who continue to honor her as well as another one of our dear friends, Gayle Nylander, who died of colon cancer in 2009.

The charity work our fund does (https://cgmf-medway.org) evolved over time beyond the wheelchair donations we made to multiple beaches. Our efforts turned to our community in which Cathy and Gayle grew up. We have awarded over 40 scholarships, ranging from $750 to $1,000 each totaling close to $40,000, to graduating students of Medway High School who model some of the beautiful characteristics of Cathy and Gayle as these students continue on to college like our girls did. For me especially, charity turned into philanthropy. Cathy’s gift molded me into a philanthropist. I now seek out opportunities to change the lives of each and every person touched by the efforts I engage in through my charity work. One person can make a difference, but I already knew that because of Cathy. Today, June 26, 2023, would have been her 53rd birthday. Happy Heavenly birthday my dear friend. Thank you for your gift that keeps us giving.?