From the News-Dispatch, Sunday, March 5, 2017:

MICHIGAN CITY— A late teenager, born in Michigan City, will be remembered through a scholarship in his name for those interested in the performing arts.

The David A. Hicks Scholarship for the Arts at the Berrien Community Foundation was created by David’s family after his passing from a rare cancer, Ewing’s Sarcoma.

“This scholarship just made sense to us,” David’s brother, Zack East said in a press release. “David always thought about other people first. He never thought about himself. He was excited to think of being able to give this to someone else … And for us, it is like we get to send him to college.”

David was diagnosed at 13 and underwent an amputation below the knee of his right leg the day after Christmas. He began chemotherapy and after a year his cancer went into remission and David attended River Valley High School in Michigan, and participated in wrestling and drama. Less then three years after being diagnosed, David’s cancer returned with full force throughout his entire body. He passed on Feb. 10, at the age of 17.

He spent most of the last four years at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital where he was as much a caregiver for many of the children there as patients, always thinking they were worse off than himself.

According to a press release from the Berrien Community Foundation, David loved the performing arts, whether it be movies, TV, dramas and stage shows, theme parks, video games or other visual arts. David’s name is intended to live on through the scholarship to high school students in Berrien County that wish to major in a field related to the arts. The scholarship fund is managed by the Berrien Community Foundation in Berrien County, Michigan.

Students wishing to apply can typically expect the window for applications to open in February and close in March each school year.

For more information on the scholarship or to donate visit the Berrien Community Foundation at www.berriencounty.org. More information on the scholarship is also available at www.davidhicksscholarship.com.

View the video from WSBT.com by clicking here.

From the Herald-Palladium, March 1, 2017:

THREE OAKS — David Hicks of Three Oaks, who died Feb. 10 at the age of 17, will not be forgotten.

His family will give out a scholarship in May in his name through the David A. Hicks Scholarship for the Arts at the Berrien Community Foundation, states a press release

Hicks, the brother of radio personality Zack East from Mid-West Family Broadcasting, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, Ewing’s Sarcoma, when he was 13.

The scholarship was set up to help students pursue their passion for performing, visual or graphic arts. The deadline to apply for the $1,000 scholarship is March 17.

It is open to all Berrien County graduating seniors and can be used for tuition, books and fees at a U.S. college or a vocational schools.

“This scholarship just made sense to us,” East stated. “David always thought about other people first. He never thought about himself. He was excited to think of being able to give this to someone else … And for us, it is like we get to send him to college.”

The application is available at www.berriencommunity.org/scholar.

The original GoFundMe effort provided enough to cover Hicks’ final expenses and to launch the scholarship. The family hopes to raise more money through the Berrien Community Foundation to permanently endow the scholarship.

For more information on the scholarship or to donate visit the Berrien Community Foundation at www.berriencommunity.org. More information on the scholarship is also available at www.davidhicksscholarship.com.

From ABC57.com, February 27, 2017:

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. –

A tragic loss for one Berrien County family has been transformed into a gift for students in that community. 17-year-old River Valley High School student, David Hicks died earlier this month after a long battle with a rare cancer. Now, his family is helping his name live on through a scholarship fund that Hicks wanted to be a part of. That fund will help students who happen to have the same passion as David did in school.

When David was just 13 years old, he was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma. At one point, his right leg needed to be amputated from the knee down because of that cancer. By the time David was 16, the cancer became worse. He chose to stop receiving treatment and decided to spend his final days with his family. But before David passed, his family received an outpouring of support from the community.

The family says a Go-Fund-Me account provided enough money to cover home care and funeral expenses and then some, so they wanted to make sure that they gave back in a way that would carry on David’s legacy.

Many different ideas were discussed among the family, but then David’s older brother Zack confided in him and asked what he wanted after he was gone.

“I sat down with him and asked if that would be what he wanted; is it acceptable to donate the rest of the funds that come in from the go-fund me campaign. I floated the idea of a scholarship so that we could continually always give money to people who are his age who are going to college and he just thought that was the coolest idea,” said Zack East, David’s older brother.

After this, I asked Zack why the scholarship is specifically geared toward students who choose to pursue a career in performance or graphic arts. He said that was David too.

“His greatest dreams was to do something in the arts and eventually get to college and we feel like this is the way that we can help make that happen. If it can’t be him it can be somebody else, and that’s just really heartwarming,” said East.

The first scholarship will be awarded to a Berrien County graduating senior for 2017. The application and all support material must be submitted or postmarked by March 17, 2017. Decisions will be announced in early May.

For more information on the scholarship or to donate visit the Berrien Community Foundation by clicking here. Further information on that scholarship is available here.