PORTSMOUTH- The Scioto Foundation has announced the establishment of the new Just a Kid from Sciotoville, Katie Stapleton Scholarship Fund, created by Lori Stapleton Jenkins along with family and community members in the Sciotoville area.

Set up as an Acorn Fund, the new scholarship will award $500 next year to a student from Sciotoville who doesn’t need to be an East High School student but must live in Sciotoville. The scholarship will not have a GPA requirement, but does require that the recipient should have participated in a club or extracurricular activity. Jenkins along with Katie’s sister Jennifer Stapleton and niece Jessica Johnson, who are all local educators, will review the applicants and give the Scioto Foundation volunteer scholarship committee a short list of potential recipients.

Katherine Marie Stapleton died on June 17, 2024 at The Ohio State Medical Center. Born on November 3, 1980 in Portsmouth, she was the daughter of Darrell Lee Stapleton and Kimberly McCann Stapleton.

“One of five kids of Jenkins’ cousin, Katie came from a big family who all loved each other like you would want all siblings to love each other,” Jenkins said.

Katie was a 1999 graduate of East High School and a devoted Tartan her entire life. She began working in the East High School cafeteria in 2005 and always helped any kids who needed something, Jenkins said.

“She always made kids feel loved in the work she did,” said Jenkins. “Katie loved East High School. She had the biggest heart and saw the good in people. She was the biggest fan of any

kid who needed help. She impacted a lot of people.”

She convinced the athletic director at EHS to let her start a bowling team at East to meet the needs of the students who didn’t play other sports and was the president of the athletic boosters club at the school before she had children of her own, according to Jenkins.

Katie was very active in Sciotoville Little League, worked in all concessions stands, was “head cheerleader” for all East sports and was most famous as the cow bell ringer for all games and occasionally made to leave the game. She was a loud supporter.

“If I wanted to be quiet, I would have stayed at home,” she said.

“We truly want the scholarship to help a kid from Sciotoville who doesn’t have to be 100% university bound,” said Jenkins. “A lot of people who loved Katie want to contribute.”

Jenkins with the assistance of other family members will be organizing fundraising activities to ensure the longevity of the scholarship for years to come. “A lot of young adults have contributed; she impacted a lot of people.”

Jenkins operates a shirt business and donated proceeds from the shirts worn to the funeral home to help start the scholarship. “The visitation and funeral were a sea of Tartan blue,” said Jenkins.

Contributions to the Just a Kid from Sciotoville, Katie Stapleton Scholarship Fund from family, friends, school fans or the general public may be made at any time. Donations may be in the form of gifts of cash, securities or property.

Further information about the Katie Stapleton Scholarship Fund may be obtained by contacting Patty Tennant, Program Officer – Donor Services or Ginnie Moore, Grants and Scholarships Coordinator for the Scioto Foundation.