Submitted Photo Michael Boedo died of an accidental overdose in June of 2017 at the age of 36. The Michael Boedo Community Foundation was established in his honor.

SILVER CREEK — In June of 2017, an accidental overdose claimed the life of Michael Boedo. He was 36 years old when his life came to an end.

Shortly after his brother’s death, Brian Boedo said in his eulogy, “We were just a single thread when we moved here, but we became part of the fabric of the town.”

In the eight years since Michael’s death, the Michael Boedo Community Foundation has supported the community he and his brother called home in many ways. The easiest way to support its efforts is set for later this summer.

The Michael Boedo Community Foundation’s fourth annual Family Picnic fundraiser is set for Saturday, Aug. 30 from noon until 8 p.m. at 12401 Allegany Road in Silver Creek. The event is held one day prior to International Overdose Awareness Day, Aug. 31.

The event features a Community Barbecue and Cornhole Tournament, along with a motorcycle run, basket raffles, big ticket raffles, a 50-50 drawing, a petting zoo, bounce houses, and live music featuring Charity Nuse and Smilo & The Ghost.

The family-friendly event is free of charge, but donations are appreciated. Checks and money orders can be addressed to the Michael Boedo Community Foundation, 11872 Bennett State Road, Silver Creek, NY.

The Michael Boedo Community Foundation began as a scholarship fund established to support a Silver Creek student who was planning to enter the medical field. Prior to his death, Michael Boedo was a longtime healthcare worker at Lakeshore Hospital as a phlebotomist. He graduated from Silver Creek High School in 1999.

Brian Boedo established the Michael Boedo Scholarship in memory of his brother. But it was more than just a scholarship; Brian Boedo wanted to raise awareness for addiction and overdose risks.

“These incidents occur all too frequently in our communities, affecting our families, friends, coworkers, and everyday people. At the foundation, we aim to assist our communities, reduce stigma, and combat this disease,” Brian Boedo said.

The Michael Boedo Scholarship Fund has grown each year, eventually reaching a point where the Michael Boedo Community Foundation was established. The Michael Boedo Community Foundation now offers scholarships to students at Silver Creek, Forestville, and Gowanda school districts.

Additionally, with a donation of $10,000, the Michael Boedo Emergency Relief Fund was established, along with the JCC Foundation, to help students in the Jamestown Community College Nursing Program with food insecurity, transportation costs, and providing access to review materials. The foundation has also partnered with Together We Bloom to fund a scholarship for a counselor to address postpartum depression.

Rather than focusing on only rewarding those who enter the medical field, the scholarships each year are now offered to candidates with a strong sense of community.

“Those are the people that we want them to take these seeds from Silver Creek and bring them to their own communities to grow strong communities there,” Brian Boedo said.

Additionally, the foundation also proudly sponsors the Hanover Youth Recreation Program, Hanover Little League and Silver Creek’s Flag Football Program. Donations were also made to honor the Silver Creek Emergency Squad, as well as the Silver Creek and Sunset Bay Fire Departments.

The foundation also donated a much-needed play table to the Anderson Lee Library this year, as well as a monetary donation of $2,000.

Brian Boedo said one of the foundation’s goals is to “build back a little bit of that community feel, where you can really lean back on your neighbor.”

The foundation hopes to offer scholarships to more students and schools, as well as supporting more adult students attending college. Brian Boedo also said a focus will be on funding addiction counseling to ensure that individuals have access to help without financial burden. Eventually, the foundation hopes to build a community center where such services can be offered.

“At the heart of it, we want to raise awareness and break down the stigma of people talking about overdose, addiction, and mental health,” Brian Boedo said.

For more information, visit Michael Boedo Community Foundation Inc. on Facebook.