Six finalists chosen for inaugural Owen Vaughn Memorial Scholarship

Six student-athletes from Kewaunee and Door counties have been selected for a chance at the first Laces 4 Life/Owen Vaughn Memorial Scholarship and cleat award to be presented Friday, May 8.
Former Kewaunee Storm and Wisconsin Badgers football star Tanor Bortolini, the starting center for the Indianapolis Colts, will be a guest speaker at the event at Waterfront Banquet Hall in Kewaunee. A limited number of tickets are available.
The special night will celebrate the student-athletes while raising awareness on mental health, and the importance of extending kindness. Tickets are $30, or tables of eight can be purchased for $200. Get tickets via QR codes on Play for Owen or 23’s Cleats 4 Kidz Facebook pages, or at laces_4_life on Instagram.
A $2,300 scholarship and cleat award will be presented to one winner in memory of Kewaunee High School student-athlete Owen Vaughn, who died by suicide in February of 2025. Presenting will be 23’s Cleats 4 Kidz in collaboration with Play 4 Owen and Green Bay artist Zane Statz, a Sturgeon Bay graduate.
The six finalists, nominated by staff and coaches and chosen by a seven-person committee, include Brett Paulsen and Noah Hudson of Kewaunee, Brady Rogers and Macie Zimmerman of Algoma, Emma Bousley of Southern Door and Cora Frangipane of Sturgeon Bay.

Thanks to generous area businesses, each finalist will be able to fill a table with family and friends.
Eleven-year-old Bentley Gerczak was among those on the committee. He’s the president of 23’s Cleats for Kidz, a nonprofit organization he founded at age nine with his parents Jim (the VP) and Kirstin (the secretary/treasurer).
A sixth-grader at Father Allouez Catholic School in Green Bay, Gerczak won a pair of cleats at an event years ago and wanted to give back. His parents helped him start the nonprofit, which provides new athletic footwear to youth in need.
Last spring, the Kewaunee Storm brought a pair of custom baseball cleats in memory of Vaughn to every game in the run to state. The Gerczaks — friends of Owen’s dad Chris Vaughn — collaborated on the design with Statz, and the cleats were presented to the Vaughn family last April.
In case you’re wondering, the “23” in 23’s Cleats for Kidz is Bentley’s jersey number for soccer and other sports.
“If you want to get deep into why he wears 23, it’s because 2 was his dad’s high school soccer number, and 5 is my favorite number,” said Kirstin Gerczak. “And he likes math. Two plus three equals five. He wants to be a sports agent, so numbers are cool!”
The idea for the “Laces 4 Life” scholarship and award came after last year’s spring sports season wrapped up. Plans are for it to be an annual event.
Learn more about 23’s Cleats for Kidz at www.23scleats4kidz.com or by calling Kirstin at 920-371-8391.