April 06, 2011

Contact:   Stacey Schmeidel, 704/894-2798

Davidson, N.C. -- Saturday, April 9, will be FrankelFest in Davidson--a day of events to honor the memory of Davidson College senior John Frankel and raise money for a scholarship in his honor.

The goal of the event--which features kickball, cornhole golf, barbeque and a raffle, among other things--is to start raising the minimum $100,000 needed to establish a scholarship in Frankel's name.

All events will take place on the practice soccer field at Davidson College from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 9. Frankelfest is open to the public at no charge.

A member of Kappa Sigma fraternity, the Student Government Association, club and intramural sports and Leadership Davidson, Frankel died in a car accident in upstate New York on Dec. 31, 2010.

In a letter about FrankelFest, organizers said,  "At Davidson, John was known for his leadership and his ability to do seemingly everything with an effortless smile and carefree optimism. Despite the hectic pace of Davidson life, there was always time for a late-night milkshake run, philosophical ramblings, or a friend in need."

Organizers noted that scholarship fundraising would be a five-year effort. "Given all that he gave and received from the Davidson community, we felt this would be the best way to honor him," they said.

Additional information about FrankelFest is available online.

Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,900 students located 20 minutes north of Charlotte in Davidson, N.C. Since its establishment in 1837 by Presbyterians, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently regarded as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Through The Davidson Trust, the college became the first liberal arts institution in the nation to replace loans with grants in all financial aid packages, giving all students the opportunity to graduate debt-free. Davidson competes in NCAA athletics at the Division I level, and a longstanding Honor Code is central to student life at the college.
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