August 30, 2018, Allentown, PA – A new senior scholarship has been established by the ASD Foundation and named in honor of Coach George “Fritz” Halfacre. George Halfacre was a teacher and the head football coach and assistant track & field coach at William Allen High School from 1965 to 1969. Coach Halfacre’s passion for sports and education made him a motivator on and off the field. He had a life long commitment to coaching and teaching where he tried to instill respect, pride and a strong work ethic among his students and athletes.
His children, family and friends have established the memorial scholarship for William Allen students in his memory through the Allentown School District Foundation.
The Coach George Halfacre Memorial Scholarship is being awarded annually to a football or track & field participant who demonstrates a strong competitive spirit and possesses all the qualities of good sportsmanship. The scholarship recipient may have a financial need and plans to further his education. Participation in sports beyond high school is not required. The recipient will be selected by the coaches, a guidance counselor and the principal at William Allen.
To date, a total of $5,470 in contributions has been raised. “The Coach Halfacre Memorial Scholarship is a great way to remember the legacy of Coach Halfacre at William Allen while opening doors for current high school seniors who model and share the coach’s sportsmanship and work ethic,” said Kurt Zwikl, President, Allentown School District Foundation. Zwikl was instrumental in establishing this memorial scholarship. “He was my coach,” says Zwikl. “I remember Halfacre strove to instill respect, pride and a strong work ethic in his students and athletes at William Allen.” The scholarship will be for $500 and will be awarded annually as long as there are sufficient funds.
2018 WAHS graduate, Tareek Johnson, who is attending Northampton Community College, was the first recipient of the Halfacre Scholarship, in the amount of $500.00.
Halfacre’s career included 58 years as a teacher, coach and mentor. He started his coaching career at Hellertown High School, beginning the football program in 1950 there and went undefeated in the league in 1955. He continued his career at Lehigh University, Moravian College, and numerous other high schools. He attended Palmerton High School, graduated from the Tabor Academy in Massachusetts, and after serving in the United States Navy during World War II, he graduated from Lehigh University with a BA degree in political science in 1950 and an MA degree in guidance and counseling in 1957. He passed away in September 2015 at the age of 88.
Contributions Welcome
Join the team! If you would like to make a contribution in support of the Halfacre Memorial Scholarship, please make your check or PayPal (www.allentownsd.org/asdf) credit charge out to Allentown School District Foundation and in the memo line, write Halfacre Scholarship. If mailing a check, send it to the address below.
About the Allentown School District Foundation
The ASD Foundation has a mission to encourage, promote and support innovative educational experiences for students in the Allentown School District. Since its founding in 2009, the Foundation has raised almost $3 million for supplemental programming in ASD schools. If you would like to learn how you can support the work of the foundation with contributions or by volunteering, please contact Executive Director, Susan L. Williams, at 484-765-4093 or williamssu@allentownsd.org. The mailing address is P.O. Box 328, 31 South Penn Street, Allentown, PA 18105, and the website is www.allentownsd.org/asdf.
Information provided to TVL by:
Office of Communications
Allentown School District
www.allentownsd.org/
