Scholarship Launched At Barnegat High School In Honor Of Late Teen

BARNEGAT, NJ — Manahawkin's Dylan DeStefano would have been 20 on March 5. Tragically, he died in a motorcycle accident last October. But his name will not be forgotten, as his family has announced the first installment of the Dylan DeStefano Memorial Scholarship.

The inaugural "Ride4Dylan" event on what would have been his 20th birthday had such an overwhelming show of support from hundreds of people in attendance that the DeStefanos could create the scholarship for seniors at Barnegat High School, the family said.

Donations are still being accepted via Venmo @Ride4Dylan, so the scholarship amount and number of recipients will be announced at the Barnegat High School Scholarship Banquet in May.

Any donation received after May 1 will be applied to next year's Scholarship Fund. Applications for all local scholarships will be accepted until March 17 per the Barnegat High School Scholarship Instructions.

The DeStefano family thanked everyone who supported this event and Scholarship Fund. A very special thank you goes out to Mud City Crab House who hosted the event and both the Barnegat and Stafford Township Police Departments for escorting the ride and managing traffic. The memorial ride was also graciously sponsored by Mud City Crab House, The Old Causeway Steak & Oyster House, Retro Fitness of Manahawkin & Tuckerton and Jetty Ink.

The memorial ride will be held annually, but it has not yet been scheduled for 2024. Follow the Facebook page Ride4Dylan for more information as the date draws closer and to view photos and videos from this year's ride.