Join others who loved Sean Hughes for a night of Irish music, food and drink to celebrate him and to kick off fundraising for an amazing memorial to him on the campus of his beloved Lower Merion High School.
There will be great raffles and other opportunities to support this important project. Bid on limited edition Sean Hughes sneakers, sporting event tickets, dining opportunities and more!
The Sean A. Hughes Memorial Fund is grateful for the partnership of the Education Foundation of Lower Merion, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization established in 2006 to which tax-deductible contributions can be made.
Local sculptor and Harriton High School alumnus Miguel Antonio Horn has agreed to design an artistic multi-part tribute on the Lower Merion High School campus. The proposed design, which would require approval from the Lower Merion Board of School Directors, includes a unique gateway to campus reflecting both the physical image of Dr. Hughes and the tenets of his oft-stated motto that “Character Counts.” As ninth-grade students “Enter to Learn” and 12th-grade students “Go Forth to Serve,” they will pass through this gateway, creating the kind of school tradition that Dr. Hughes so loved.
Later proposed aspects of the on-campus memorial will include turning a grass slope between the high school and administration buildings into both a memorial garden for quiet reflection and an outdoor amphitheater for use by classes and other student groups. Dr. Hughes, who instituted “Lunch and Learn,” was always looking for creative ways for students to use spaces on campus in ways that supported their intellectual curiosity, mental health and sense of comfort and belonging at school.
In addition to the artistic memorial, the Sean Hughes Tribute Committee is collecting to donations to fund two additional projects.
The first is fully funding the 25-year “Sean Hughes Character Counts Scholarship” though the Lower Merion Township Scholarship Fund. As with all scholarships awarded by LMTSF, this will be a needs-based scholarship, with particular consideration given to a child who has lost a parent.
The second is the creation of a children’s book and accompanying curriculum based on Dr. Hughes that emphasizes the importance of character. Children’s author and Lower Merion High School alumnus Nahjee Grant is collaborating with Mrs. Kristi Hughes on the book development. Mr. Grant has also designed a sneaker that pays tribute to Dr. Hughes, with proceeds from the shoe sales going toward the Tribute Committee’s fundraising goals.
