found at: http://www.thecabin.net/stories/052409/spo_0524090030.shtml
Parents of slain girl set up memorial golf classic to award scholarships to graduating Greenbrier students
Katie Wood’s lifelong dream lives on.
Wood, who was 24 at time of her tragic death in March 2008, was a 2002 graduate of Greenbrier High School and was scheduled to graduate from the University of Arkansas in May 2008, with a double major in English and fine arts.
Wood’s dream was to set up a fund where she could give back to other Greenbrier High graduates. She was planning on going to Sweden for a graduation trip, afterwards she wanted to continue on with higher education by obtaining her master’s degree to become a professor.
Wood’s ex-boyfriend, Zachariah Marcyniuk, has been convicted of killing her on March 9, 2008, after bursting in her apartment when she opened the door. Sharon Wood said her artistic, loving and caring daughter was brutally beaten and stabbed nearly 50 times. Marcyniuk has been sentenced to death.
The donations came rolling in after Wood’s death, so her parents, Dale and Sharon Wood, established a scholarship fund. Last spring, both awarded two Greenbrier High seniors who had interest in art or English with separate $500 scholarships. Sharon Wood said her beautiful and friendly daughter would have loved the idea.
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“When Katie graduated from high school she received a $500 scholarship,” Wood said. “We sat around the kitchen table, and she said ‘You know when I graduate, I want to start the Katie Wood scholarship fund to give back to other graduating Greenbrier students.’ We had no idea that we were going to have to go this route.”
Ken Schulte, a close friend of the Woods, came up with the idea of having a golf tournament so that funds and community awareness could be raised for the continuation of the scholarships. So, the first Katie Wood Memorial Golf Classic was held Saturday, May 16, at Persimmon Ridge Golf Club in Greenbrier. There were 10 three-player teams to compete in this year’s event.
“We just thought that Katie would have got a kick out of it,” Wood said. “We knew that’s how she would have wanted it to be set up. So the money is in a scholarship fund at First Service Bank in Greenbrier. Anybody can donate to it, which makes it even greater.”
The recipients of the $500 scholarships were 2009 graduates Taylor Neal for English and Shelby Lucille Wade for art. Neal will attend the University of Central Arkansas in the fall with plans of majoring in journalism. Wade is preparing to head for the University of Arkansas at Morrilton Community College this fall.
“When we woke up that Saturday morning, the radar looked pretty bad,” Wood said. “We thought, ‘Oh Lord, we can’t have this happen on Katie’s day.’ Well, sure enough, when we got out there while the golfers were getting ready for the shotgun start, the sky just cleared off. It was just a little misty at first, then it was beautiful for the rest of the day. It was just perfect for the first time.”
Many volunteers helped with the event. Wood said all of the 30 participants walked away with prizes and goodie bags.
“Oh my goodness, the people in Greenbrier are just amazing,” Wood said. “You couldn’t ask for better people to reach and help. Even though they may be down own their luck since the economy is the way it is, they still reached out and helped. There are so many people who didn’t even know Katie who came in and helped with this event.”
According to Wood, the golf classic will be held next year around the same time in May.
