Earlier this month, dozens of golfers and community members gathered to celebrate the life of a lost loved one by raising money for local scholarships.

Ninety golfers participated in the Fifth Annual Jason Arnold Memorial (JAM) Golf Outing at Spruce Ridge Golf Club in Dowagiac.

Arnold passed away in January of 2010 from injuries sustained from a fall. Arnold was a 1979 Niles High School graduate and a lifelong resident of Niles.

“Jason was a giving person. He was always there when he was needed,” said Frieda Arnold, Jason’s mother. “His career choice came naturally, given his talent and aptitude for teaching. As a teacher, he knew how to lead and encourage his students to maximize their capabilities. That’s who Jason was.”

In 2013, Jason’s close friends and family established the JAM Scholarship Fund. Each year, the foundation awards one Niles graduate and one Buchanan graduate with a $1,000 scholarship.

This year, Niles graduate Joseph Franc and Buchanan graduate Rachel Bonek received the scholarship. Franc will attend Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan to study computer engineering. Bonek will attend St. Mary’s College in South Bend to study science and engineering.