Deer Lakes’ Hall honored by Pittsburgh Pirates, Weiss Foundation and Make-A-Wish Foundation
Deer Lakes senior Edward Hall was among 36 students to receive the 2018 Kurt R. Weiss Scholarship for Wish Kids last night, in a dinner and on-field ceremony hosted by the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park before the team’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Dr. Weiss, a former Wish Kid himself, is now a successful orthopedic surgeon at UPMC. For the past two plus decades, he has awarded more than 700 scholarships to deserving applicants like Hall. However, according to Hall’s mother, Holli Gerst, he has provided the scholarship’s recipients with much more than scholarship money, he has provided them with hope. “Dr. Weiss is an inspiration to any young person who has ever needed to overcome a serious illness or condition,” she said.
Hall plans to attend the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford where he will major in sports and recreation, while minoring in coaching. As he told members of the Pirates’ management staff at last night’s event, he hopes to become the next Clint Hurdle.
For Hall’s mother last night’s event and this entire experience has been about much more than a scholarship. “Eddie has always just loved baseball and especially the Pirates,” said Gerst. “For him to be able to accept this scholarship on the field at PNC Park is just an unbelievable honor for him.”
Gerst is understandably pleased with her son’s accomplishments, but she also understands that they have received a ton of support along the way. “Make-A-Wish has done so much for my son and now they are making yet another dream come true,” she said. “We can’t thank them, the Weiss Foundation, the Pirates organization or the entire staff at Deer Lakes enough for all they have done for Eddie. He sure has made us all very proud.”
Posted: Saturday, May 26, 2018