Lindsay Karen Matthews Memorial Scholarship

Annually, the Matthews family, with the help of close friends, hosts the Lindsay Matthews 5K Run & 1 Mile walk in memory of Lindsay Matthews.  With the generous support of friends and family, the Matthews family can ensure that Lindsay’s memory lives on through scholarships provided to Orchard Park High School student-athletes’.

Lindsay Matthews was an inspiration to all lives that she touched and was the definition of a true student athlete.  She was a talented soccer player for Orchard Park High School and SUNY Geneseo, but it would be an injustice to remember her solely for the sport she loved when she was gifted in all aspects of life.  Lindsay enjoyed spending time with children, in which she used her sport to teach children life lessons that could never be forgotten.  Lindsay’s work ethic and self-discipline helped her achieve success inside and outside the classroom, as she struggled to settle for anything less than excellence.  Ultimately, Lindsay made the most unselfish gift in her life, as her parents donated her organs to three people, two of which were young children from Syracuse, New York. 

With the donations of friends and local businesses, the Matthews family started the Lindsay Karen Matthews Memorial Scholarship, in which two scholarships are awarded to seniors who participated in an Orchard Park Varsity sports team and intend to pursue a higher education in a helping profession.  The recipients of the scholarship are student-athletes who model seriousness of purpose in the classroom and on the field and a dedication to service in their community.  Like Lindsay, the recipients’ actions exemplify sportsmanship over gamesmanship, excellence over mediocrity, and selfless compassion for others above all.