The Matthew M. Welna Scholarship Award Ceremony and Rider University Alumni Game is set to take place on Saturday, September 26, 2015. The game will be from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and the award ceremony is set to beging at 12:45 p.m. at 2083 Lawrenceville Road in Lawrence Township.
The Matthew M. Welna Foundation was established in order to preserve the memory of the life of Matthew Welna. Matthew died tragically in the early morning hours of Friday March 20, 2015 at the age of 25, leaving behind a grieving family and multiple communities of affected friends, colleagues and teammates. In life Welna exemplified what it means to be human. A driven and passionate man, he excelled in both athletics and academics, graduating first from Sayreville War Memorial High School in 2008 and later with a Master’s Degree in accounting from Rider University in 2013. As a lifelong soccer player, Welna achieved success and accolades at every level. His rare mixture of natural talent, tireless work ethic and extreme humility helped him become the first Sayreville soccer player to captain the varsity team as a junior. For those who knew him, Welna will be remembered as a compassionate, generous and loving man who taught everyone he met how to live life with an open heart and an open mind. The Matthew M. Welna Foundation, therefore, will seek to uphold and carry on these virtues so that Welna’s impact lives on.
The Foundation’s mission is to further the legacy of Matthew Welna by establishing a scholarship awarded annually to the Sayreville War Memorial High School senior and Rider University division one soccer player who most embody the compassion, drive and humility that defined Welna’s time in this world. In doing so we hope to extend his impact and inspire present and future generations to lead selfless lives with open hearts.
