#1818Strong Scholarship

People ask from time to time what the #1818Strong Scholarship is, so this is just the straight answer.

Before it was a scholarship, #1818Strong was something people used while Greg Leonard was sick. Friends, family, coworkers, and others around the job used it to show support for Greg and his family during his fight with ALS.

The number comes from Greg’s badge — 1818. The word “strong” wasn’t meant as a slogan. It was just the word people kept coming back to when they talked about what he was dealing with and how he carried himself through it.

Greg was forced to retire early after being diagnosed with ALS. Anyone who’s seen an early retirement up close knows how much that changes things. One day you’re working, planning, and doing what you’ve always done. Then suddenly you’re not, and life doesn’t really pause to let you catch up.

Those of us who knew Greg watched that happen. We also saw how quickly the support thins out once someone is no longer actively on the job. There are benefits, but there are also gaps, especially when illness forces someone out earlier than expected and there are still kids at home — or when someone suddenly has to figure out what comes next.

After Greg passed, the conversations didn’t stop. They just changed. The question became what happens long-term. Not right away, when people are checking in and meals are still being dropped off, but years later when families — and sometimes the firefighters themselves — are still trying to get their footing.

That’s where the #1818Strong Scholarship came from.

It exists to help first responder families who’ve had to adjust because of illness, injury, or loss. That can mean helping with education costs for children, or helping someone who was forced to retire early get the training or schooling they need for a new ch

apter.

We chose a scholarship because education is often part of how people move forward. Sometimes that’s college for a child. Sometimes it’s certification, training, or schooling for someone who never planned on starting over but now has to.

Applications for the #1818Strong Scholarship are open now. The deadline this year is March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, of course.

The scholarship is one part of the support we offer. It’s there for families whose plans changed sooner than expected.

Application requirements and details can be found at aaemerald.com/scholarship.