Missing tree

I just noticed that the Ben tree is missing from its spot. Wha? Perhaps you noticed this long before me. Rike reassured me: "A water pipe underneath it broke, and it is safe in the nursery. it will be put back soon--I hope!"

$1,638 raised for Athay scholarship fund

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the Oliver Athay Scholarship Fund. We raised a total of $1,638! Students, faculty and staff all contributed. Oliver is the 1-year-old son of Ben Athay, who was a 1L last year and made an impression on many as a great student and upbeat new dad. Ben died of a brain hemorrhage last summer. Our gift to Oliver’s fund will be made in the name of PALS and Friends of PALS. If you’d like to contribute on your own, here’s the info:
Oliver Grant Athay College Scholarship Fund
Citizens Bank
PO Box 30 Corvallis, OR 97339
The account is handled by Liz Colombe, 541.752.5161

The Oliver Athay scholarship fund

This week we're collecting contributions for the Oliver Athay scholarship fund. Oliver is Ben's 1-year-old son. We'd like to make a contribution on behalf of PALS, to honor Ben's involvement with our group. If you'd like to contribute, there is an envelope on the table where we're collecting donations for Childhaven.

However, if you contribute this way, you won't be able to deduct it on your taxes. If you'd like to contribute directly to the fund, here's the info:

Oliver Grant Athay College Scholarship Fund
Citizens Bank
PO Box 30 Corvallis, OR 97339
If you want to speak with someone at the bank, ask for Liz Colombe -
541.752.5161 - she handles the account.

The Ben tree

Ben's memorial on Friday was lovely and his wife is just amazing. She spoke beautifully. Oliver, their son, is 11 months old and just starting to walk.
The tree planted in Ben's memory is a cedar. It is at the bottom of the stairs by room 138, at the far end of the building. Or if you were to go down the exterior stairs by the cafe, it's on the left side of the path just as you go past the end of the building.
PALS is planning to work on collecting money for the scholarship fund that has been created for Oliver. Look for opportunities to contribute in the future. We'll probably have an envelope at Fall Festival.

Memorial planned for Ben Athay

PALS lost a great friend and board member this summer when 2L Ben Athay died. Ben's friend Mike Peters has worked with the law school to schedule a memorial service for Ben. It will be 4-5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, in room 138. I don't know if Alison and Oliver (Ben's 9-month-old son) will come, but I hope so. Please come if you can.

The school will plant a memorial tree in Ben's honor. I'm sure we'll find out more details about it at the service. The PALS board also has been talking about doing something in Ben's honor, in tune with his joy at being a father and a student. We'll keep you posted.

The press release about Ben and the memorial service are posted here:
http://www.law.washington.edu/News/Articles/Default.aspx?YR=2007&ID=AthayMemorial

Ben Athay

Ben Athay, a loving father and law student, died of a brain hemorrhage on Friday, Aug. 31. His funeral was Friday in Corvallis.

It's hard to accept the death of someone who was so vibrant and had great plans for his life. I met Ben at the 1L family picnic before school last year. His gorgeous wife Alison was pregnant, and Ben was excited both about fatherhood and about starting law school. Alison gave birth in the middle of his first year, and Ben was thrilled with little Oliver. He must have had some long nights, but when I saw Ben he was always cheerful and eager to stop to chat. I ran into him toward the end of the year and asked him to be a board member of PALS and he instantly agreed. At PALS, Ben was thoughtful and funny. He asked that PALS try to be more available to students on a regular basis, because he tended to hear from the group only once or twice a quarter. He felt parents need more support. We created this blog partly to respond to Ben's request for a more frequent, visible form of support for parents. We'll be looking for other ways to respond to his request throughout the year.

PALS sent a bouquet of roses to Ben's funeral. We are looking for other ways to honor Ben and help Alison tell Oliver about his father. Please add your thoughts and suggestions as comments below.

Lisa