$1,700 'Blue Crew' Contribution Honors Student's Memory, Heartens Transplant Patients

"We lost a son, but we gained an extended family here at Penn College," said Robert M. Fischer, father of the late Michael Storm Fischer, as he accepted a check for $1,700 from the college's Student Athlete Advisory Committee on Wednesday night. The funds, raised through the sale of commemorative T-shirts, will be given in Michael Fischer's memory to the New Jersey Organ and Tissue Sharing Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to organ and tissue donation. The check was presented to the family by Cody E. Buterbaugh, a member of the Penn College baseball team and SAAC vice president, during halftime of the men's basketball game in Bardo Gym. "Michael Fischer was a member of the cross-country team for four years and a volunteer assistant for two. In addition, (he) worked as a photographer ... not only taking pictures of the cross-country team, but capturing many other events and athletic teams around campus," he said. "Tragically, Michael passed away last August. To honor him, special ‘2.0 Blue Crew' T-shirts were made and sold in helping raise money in Michael’s name. His nickname, given to him by the cross-country team, was ‘Jersey 2.0,’ a nod to his roots in New Jersey." Over the past five months, Buterbaugh noted, the SAAC, cross-country team and Athletic Department worked tirelessly to sell T-shirts to raise money in Michael’s name. In addition, several cross-country alumni – Robert Forbes, Alyssa Giedroc and John Greenwood – made generous donations. "The Student Athlete Advisory Committee would like to thank the Fischer family for attending tonight’s event and traveling all the way from New Jersey," Buterbaugh said Wednesday evening. "Michael was an important part of the Penn College community and he will be missed greatly."