Donald F. O’Connell Jr. Memorial Scholarship Recipients

This is the first year of the Donald Francis O’Connell Jr. Memorial Scholarship. It was formed by the efforts and talents of the players of the Marco Island Senior Softball League (MISSL) to honor a family member, friend, and player whom they believe embodied the League’s essence of the spirit of sportsmanship, camaraderie, friendly competition, and character.

On May 6, 2024, Colin Raymond of Lely High School was awarded $3,500. He will attend Florida Atlantic University to study pre-med and business, and his goal is to become a sports physician and open his own practice.

Celina Alber of Lely High School was also awarded $1,000. She will attend Florida State University, where she will study exercise science and kinesiology. 

On May 21, 2024, Grayson Jones of Marco Island Academy was awarded $3,500. Grayson will study exercise science at Florida Atlantic University. He also received the Donald O’Connell Scholarship in honor of Marco Island Senior softball player Bill Dauch. 

In Memoriam: Bill Dauch (88) always enjoyed sports for the fun of it and used to coach a sixth-grade football team. He loved playing softball for the friendship and having fun with the guys. For the 2024 season, Bill played on the Crazy Flamingo team.

 “We are proud of these young people as they exemplify the values and athleticism of Don,” wrote Judy O’Connell. “We would like to thank everyone who donated to this scholarship. I personally am deeply humbled, as I know Don would be. What a wonderful community.”

According to Chris Flynn, with more than $10,000 raised in 2023, the plan was to award two scholarships, totaling about $3,500 each, to male and female senior student-athletes who live on Marco Island. He added that guidance counselors from Lely High School and Marco Island Academy High School were instrumental in identifying student-athlete candidates. 

Following Don O’Connell’s courageous battle with cancer last November, an outpouring of support came from the MISSL for his wife, Judy O’Connell, and their family. Chris Flynn, a player and a coach, along with his wife Nancy, got together with the League’s players and organized a Scavenger Hunt to raise funds and honor Don’s memory.

The response was overwhelming, and the Scavenger hunt featured a dozen teams from the MISSL who fanned throughout 50 sites looking for clues. The energy and success of the Hunt further triggered a generous response from members of the MISSL. According to Flynn, “Helping others through the Donald F. O’Connell Jr. Scholarship Fund is something Don would have wanted.” 

Judy said that Chris Flynn is already hard at work on next year’s scavenger hunt. If you would like to help plan the Scavenger hunt, please feel free to reach out to any member of the Softball League. They gather for pick-up games every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:00 AM at the Winterberry Athletic Field. Feel free to join them!

For more information on Marco Island Senior Softball League, visit the league's website at https://marcoseniorsoftballleague.com/index.html.