Monday 9 April 2001
Scholarships let Andy Moffitt live on
Paulette Moffitt
The Ottawa Citizen
Despite his slaying in December 1998, computer engineering student Andy Moffitt will continue to touch people's lives through a $155,580 scholarship fund at the University of Ottawa, writes his grateful mother, Paulette.
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On March 29, I was honoured to witness the awarding of the first scholarships handed out in name of my son, Andy Moffitt, who was a promising 23-year-old computer engineering student at the University of Ottawa when he was stabbed to death on Dec. 23, 1998 while trying to break up a fight at a restaurant frequented by U of O students.
The two aspiring U of O engineering students are Ian Breukelaar, a fourth year engineering student and Rohit Bahl, a second year software engineering student.
It has been a very difficult two years since Andy's murder, but working on the fundraisers for his scholarship fund and his special Web site has keep us focused and determined to make sure Andy is never forgotten.
Many people around the world read about Andy on his Web site (www.andymoffitt.org ). Some tell us he has touched them in a special way. They look at life differently now. They realize how life is so precious and they will never take it for granted again.
Andy has touched people of all ages. To those he has touched, the world is a better place. He is bringing out caring and compassion.
I remember a little boy who came up to me at a fundraiser we had at the St. Laurent Shopping Centre a few months after Andy was slain. His mother was reading the newspaper articles about what happened to Andy and she was explaining to him what we were to doing to keep Andy's memory alive.
Shortly after that, the little boy handed me his money that he would have spent on a treat. This is where compassion and caring start. I am sure Andy was smiling down on him at that moment.
To the father of two university students who drove out of his way to find our table set up at Brockville's Thousand Islands Mall on Andy's 24th birthday, thank you.
To the custodian at the mall who emptied his pocket of his change, thank you.
To all the corporations, your generosity made it possible for us to have such a large fund, now exceeding $155,000. It turns out that Andy's is the largest scholarship fund at the University of Ottawa. Thank you.
I have a very special thank you to a special priest who telephoned our family shortly after the terrible news to reassure us that Andy was now in heaven. He said Andy lost his life because he got up to help -- he risked his life -- and unfortunately he lost it.
To the University of Ottawa, thanks for making it possible to create a scholarship in Andy's name. Thank you for your endless help and encouragement.
Last, but not least, a special thank you to all the media for being there for Andy. The news of the Andrew Moffitt memorial scholarship fund was carried across air waves, newspapers and television. Andy's fund is sitting at a remarkable $155,580. Thank you for all this coverage.
Andy has touched so many people, and will continue to do so, long after we have all left this world, through engineering students at the University of Ottawa. He will live on through them.
Thank you to everyone for caring.
Paulette Moffitt,
Brockville, on behalf of the Moffitt family
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