When West Windsor resident Sean Kehler died suddenly at age 41 in 2011, he left behind an impressive legacy of service to his community as an EMT with the Twin W First Aid Squad for 24 years and a life member of the Princeton Junction Volunteer Fire Company.
That legacy has been carried on by six of his childhood friends, who have started the Sean Kehler Foundation to commemorate Kehler’s legacy of service to West Windsor and to encourage teenage volunteerism. President Ray Shanley, secretary Joe Artale, and Geoff Cohen, Maz Fallah, and Bennett Willburn were all classmates of Kehler in WW-P High School’s Class of 1988. Vice president and treasurer Jeff Schneider, a childhood friend, graduated from Peddie.
Among his accomplishments in his five years as chief of Twin W, Kehler established a fund to offer cadets a $500 scholarship. With the dissolution of Twin W in 2015 the scholarship was eliminated. This year the foundation will award the $1,000 Sean Kehler Community Service Scholarship to a senior at High School South.
On Sunday, May 15, the foundation will hold its first major fundraiser, a ninja competition at Pinnacle Parkour Academy. People of all ages are invited to complete a ninja obstacle course and meet Jamie Rahn, known as “Captain NBC” on the television program “American Ninja Warrior.” Entry to the competition is $25 for each of three categories: ages 11 and under, 12 to 16, and 17 and over. A $5 admission fee for spectators includes a Jamie Rahn autograph.
The event coincides with EMS Week in West Windsor, which begins Monday, May 16. That week the entranceway to the former Twin W facility on Everett Drive, now owned by the township, will be officially renamed “Sean Kehler Way.”
Meanwhile, the foundation is also working to ensure that Kehler’s legacy endures. “We are starting with the scholarship,” Schneider says. “Hopefully we will be able to grow and host a community service fair, which would enable area organizations to match up with interested volunteers. We would also like to expand and sponsor community service awards for juniors at both high schools.”
Ninja Competition, Pinnacle Parkour Academy, 45 Everett Drive, West Windsor. Sunday, May 15, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. $25. Register to 855-776-7275. 50 percent of proceeds benefit the Sean Kehler Community Service Scholarship. www.facebook.com/SeanKehlerFoundation.
