DENVER — “Larry fights through more every day than most people do in a lifetime,” says Ryan Martin, Basketball Coach at Abraham Lincoln High School.
Three pediatricians told Larry Gile’s parents that he would never speak and that sign language was Larry’s only chance at communication.
Fifteen years later, Larry, a senior at Abraham Lincoln, has earned varsity letters in football, basketball, baseball and track. He has given back countless hours to coaching and mentoring youth at the Harvey Park Recreation Center, is ranked 19th in his graduating class and carries a 3.91 GPA.
Larry has autism.
Larry Gile is one of the 10 finalists for the Lynch Family Legacy Scholarships, which will be presented at the 13th Annual John Lynch Salute the Stars Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, May 3, at INVESCO Field at Mile High from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow will serve as the event’s keynote speaker and assist in honoring student-athletes like Larry and others from across the Denver Metro area who excel in academics, athletics and community involvement.
“Larry has made such a profound impact on Linda and I, and we are inspired by his tremendous determination, drive and perseverance,” says John Lynch, a former Denver Bronco and current Fox Sports Analyst. “His personality is infectious and we are honored to be able to reach out to student-athletes like him, commend them for all they do and let them know that we believe in them.”
The Lynches honor student-athletes who excel in academics, athletics and community involvement at the Salute the Stars Awards Luncheon. Four scholarships will be presented to student-athletes like Larry Gile. Each of the finalists for the Lynch Family Legacy Scholarships go through a selection process consisting of an application, essay, letters of recommendation, and finally face to face interviews with John, Linda and a scholarship selection committee.
“Meeting each of the scholarship finalists is an amazing experience and is very important to Linda and I,” Lynch said. “We were both student-athletes and were fortunate to receive scholarships along the way. We take this process very seriously and are so honored to be able to play a small part in the promising futures these kids have.”
More than 1,000 are expected to turn out to assist them in saluting these young adults. Individual tickets are $100, and corporate tables start at $1000. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the www.johnlyncfoundation.org or by calling 1-866-553-4747.
The following awards will be presented at the Salute the Stars awards luncheon:
Lynch Family Legacy Scholarships – Four $10,000 scholarships will be presented to high school seniors to assist them in achieving their dreams in college. To date, 77 scholarships have been presented totaling more than $371,000.
Exceptional Star of the Year Award, presented by the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation – Four $5,000 scholarships will be presented to student-athletes with special needs. Two will go to student-athletes with Down syndrome and two will go to student-athletes with physical disabilities. To date, 11 awards have been presented totaling $55,000
Most Valuable Teacher and Coach of the Year Award – Nominated by student-athletes, two award winners will receive a $1000 cash award for themselves and a $500 Sports Authority gift card to be spent on team or program of their choice.
Star of the Year Award – Presented to two middle school and two high school student-athletes, chosen out of the pool of 56 monthly Star of the Month winners. More than 700 student-athletes have been honored as Star of the Month winners.
The John Lynch Foundation is committed to developing quality young leaders by providing programs that assist and motivate, recognizing achievement and excellence, and encouraging dreams. The Lynches strongly believe that values can be learned through sport participation and community involvement. Teamwork, time management, responsibility, involvement and determination are the lessons that carry over into all areas of life.
The Salute the Stars awards luncheon is made possible by presenting sponsor, the Sports Authority, and other corporate and individual donors including: the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation, Noble Energy, Independence Capital Asset Partners, MBH Enterprises, John and Linda Lynch and Synergy Services.
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