6 Awarded Scholarships In Honor Of Late Manahawkin Motorcyclist

BARNEGAT, NJ — Six Barnegat high schoolers were awarded scholarships in honor of the late Dylan DeStefano.

DeStefano, who would be 20 now, died last October in a motorcycle crash. To keep his memory alive, his parents created the Ride4Dylan event at Mud City Crab House, where he used to work, to raise money for scholarships in his name.

Out of 34 applicants, the six awarded received $1,250.00 each to be used to further their education or vocation. Those six are Ryan Anthony, Nicholas Block, Devon Faulds, Lucas Holland, Sofia Irizarry and Meaghan McLaughlin.

In their application essays, students had to share how the funds would be used, and each one touched the DeStefano family. The family is comforted knowing these funds will help impact these young lives in a meaningful way, according to a news release.

All those awarded received a sweatshirt as well. If you would like a memorial sweatshirt, reach out to the Ride4Dylan Facebook page. All proceeds will go towards next year's scholarship fund.

Ride4Dylan will become an annual event, but the date for 2024 has not been set. Follow the Facebook page for more information.

The DeStefano family also wants to remind riders and drivers that, as the summer season brings more traffic to the area, they should respect and honor DeStefano by respecting and honoring the rules of the road.