Meet the Wray Family

Evan Wray was a First Team All-Conference linebacker on the Kettering Fairmont High School football team. He was also the team's Most Valuable Player.  Evan succeeded in the classroom too.  He graduated first in his class in 2008 with a GPA of 4.0.  He continued with his education at Butler University where he played on the football team. This fall, however, he transferred successfully to Notre Dame as a sophomore.  He lives at Dillon Hall.  He decided to try out for the football team as a walk-on. To his surprise, he made the team on September 1, 2009.  "The hardest thing that I have ever done in my life is making the team at Notre Dame."

Through all of this effort, first to get into Notre Dame, then to make the team, Evan was dealing with personal tragedy.  Evan's father, Jeff, had died very suddenly and at a very young age on June 20, 2009. He was only 56 years old.  He loved Fairmont High School Football and felt privileged to be part of this wonderful program and everyone associated with it. He especially loved sitting in the bleachers with Anita, his wife, and Madison, his daughter and Evan's sister, and other assorted friends and relatives, watching Evan play on Friday nights.

To help keep Jeff’s spirit alive for many years to come, and in memory of Jeff, the family has created two (2) $1,000 scholarships to help support continuing education of Fairmont scholar-athletes.

To apply for this scholarship, a Fairmont athlete must have a GPA of 3.0 or show hard work toward improved grades. The applicant must also write an essay explaining why he or she feels it is important to lead a positive life and why “the truest measure of a man’s/woman’s life, is what they leave behind.”

The Notre Dame Club of Dayton wishes to welcome the Wrays to the Notre Dame Family.  If you wish to contribute to the Wray scholarship fund, please send a check made out to the "Jeff Wray Memorial Scholarship Fund/FHS" and send it to:

Kettering Fairmont High School
Athletic Department
Brian Donoher, Athletic Director
3301 Shroyer Road
Kettering, Ohio 45429

Molly Bruggeman to ND

Molly Bruggeman, daughter of Michael (ND 1981) and Elizabeth Bruggeman (SMC 1982), just signed a Letter of Intent to attend Notre Dame on a crew team scholarship. Molly is a senior at Chaminade-Julienne Catholic High School and has been rowing for the Dayton Boat Club and Coach Mike Miles.

Molly follows her grandfather (Paul Bruggeman 1951), her dad and three uncles (Mark 1977, Tom 1978, Mike 1981, Tim 1983), her brother Matt (2010) and a cousin (Nathan 2013) to ND. Her mom (nee Blust, SMC 1982) and an aunt (Claire Blust Rodehaver SMC 1983) are Saint Mary's alums, and Molly has two more cousins currently at Saint Mary's (Adele Bruggeman 2013 and Emily Rodehaver 2013).

Molly chose ND over Princeton, Virginia, and Georgetown. The full article from the Oakwood Register is found here. We think she made a great choice!

Thanksgiving 101

I received an email from Notre Dame directing me to a video. The video was meant to thank contributors to ND, so you may have gotten one too. Nonetheless, it's a pretty neat video.



I know it's basically an ad for Notre Dame, but I can't help but enjoy it. I hope you do too.