Author: roy.d.martin@att.net

The Tawny Martin Memorial Foundation is excited to announce that on November 3, four area youth received grants from the Foundation’s “All God’s Creatures” program. The four recipients, Abbey Biggerstaff, Dana Bly and David and James Kemp, each will use their grants in support of their school and 4-H projects.

Abby Biggerstaff, who attends Oblesby High School says, “I have 4 pigs, 2 goats, and will soon be getting some rabbits.  I really look forward to checking on my animals and working with them every day.”  Dana Bly, a student at Moody High School who has been showing animals at various shows since she was eight years old, says she will be raising and showing a goat this year. The brothers David and James Kemp, both homeschooled in Lacy Lakeview, will be using their grant to purchase materials to create a run for their guinea pigs Bubba and Spot.  Says David Kemp, “[We will make] a flyer so that we can get our guinea pigs out in schools and daycares and other places … [so that] we can come talk to their students about guinea pigs and how to take care of them.”

Biggerstaff, Bly and the Kemps were selected from applications submitted to the Tawny Martin Foundation prior to November. A group of volunteers rated the applications and the Foundation Board then selected the four awardees based on these ratings.

The purpose of the Foundation’s “All God’s Creatures” program is to foster a sense of animal stewardship in youth. The program, awarded each fall, is open to anyone 19 or less years old in support of their various animal and wildlife projects.

Published: November 16, 2007, For Immediate Release

On December 2, the Tawny Martin Memorial Foundation collected donations of toys and money in support of the Marine’s Toys for Tots campaign.  Accepting the donations in the parking lot of David’s grocery store, the Foundation, with the able assistance of local Marines, was able to collect two large boxes full of toys and donations of cash.  The foundation was also able to follow up the following week with over $500 in cash donations and another large box of toys, collected from parishioners at the St. Eugene’s Catholic Church in McGregor.

Published: December 2, 2006, For Immediate Release

On November 26, three Moody area youth received grants from the Tawny Martin Memorial Foundation’s (TMMF) “All God’s Creatures” program.  The three recipients, Macayla Murphy, Shyanne Bly and Dusty Ray Ward each will use their grants to pursue agricultural projects (raising pigs and rabbits for show) at Moody High School and Moody Elementary.

Macayla, Shyanne and Dusty were selected from applications submitted to the TMMF prior to November. A group of volunteers rated the applications and the TMMF Board selected the three awardees based on these ratings.

The “All God’s Creatures” program will be offered each year by the TMMF and is open to any project by youth (anyone less than 19 years old) which fosters a sense of custodianship of animals in youth.  The program offers grants and loans to kids in support of the various projects.

Published: November 6, 2006, For Immediate Release

Just prior to Moody High School’s Senior Prom, many of you noticed a rather startling trailer in a parking lot located just down road from Moody High School.  The trailer was placed in the parking lot of David’s grocery store and held the remains of the Toyota Corolla that our daughter, Tawny Lynn Martin, was driving the morning she was killed.

Many who saw the trailer understood that the timing and the placement of Tawny’s car were very intentional – we were frantic to underscore to the kids attending the prom, the tragic consequences of drinking and driving. The world lost two precious kids, (Tawny Martin and JJ Jackson), that sad morning of January 29th and many in Moody and the surrounding area are still deeply grieving from our shared loss. The car’s message, then, was this: We simply can’t stand the heartbreak of losing even just one more child to this senseless, unnecessary tragedy.

Although initially concerned about reaction to the placement of Tawny’s car, we were genuinely gladdened to receive nothing but positive and heartening comments. The message is both timely and important. Sadly, instances of drunk driving, and deaths due to it, are on the increase. In the US alone, about 17,000 individuals lose their lives due to drunken driving accidents each year. That translates to one every half hour, and the tragedy doesn’t yet show any signs of stemming. Innocent victims continue to be lost.

Which leads many to ponder that if the message is both timely and important, where did Tawny’s car go to?  It’s not at David’s anymore.

Be assured, the car is continuing its mission as messenger of drunk-free driving. It was moved to be displayed at Belton High Schools. The Tawny Martin Memorial Foundation, sponsor of the project, was contacted by the administration of the Belton ISD to see whether we might also display Tawny’s car prior to the proms at Waskow and Belton High Schools. In addition to displaying the car, we were asked to present to the students of Waskow High School, the events that lead up to the accident and the effects of that night on all who knew Tawny Martin and JJ Jackson. The message was receive in Belton almost as strongly as in Moody.

The “Tawny’s car” project was sponsored by the Tawny Martin Memorial Foundation and spearheaded by Kathryn Trevino, Lynn Mayo (Tawny’s mom) and myself. It also had additional, generous support from Gary Martin’s Wrecker Service, Mike Perryman of Perryman & Wilson and from Virgil Canady and iZone Imaging. The car has since been removed from Belton HS for storage and will probably be seen again next school year at area schools as we gear up for a new series of homecomings and senior proms.  To all who offered prayers and support for the project, we extend our sincerest thanks.

On a more personal level, Lynn, Noah and I wish to thank you all for your love, prayers and support during this incredibly sad time. Our hearts have been torn and our recovery is slow. We’ve been told that the loss of a child is something one never totally recovers from. This, we’ve come to know. But the goodness and love of a community can bridge even the saddest of heartbreaks. This also, we’ve come to know.

Published: May 11, 2006, For Immediate Release