LIKEME® is proud to announce it is establishing a Journalism Scholarship in the name of John Long. LIKEME® will match all donations made this year at www.likeme.org in John Long’s name to fund the JOHN LONG SCHOLARSHIP. Please donate any amount by clicking the DONATE Button and LIKEME® will match that amount*, which will be awarded to a deserving student at UMKC in the name of John Long.
Scholarship Program
URGENT
John’s good deeds were not overlooked and he was honored to receive the LIKEME Lighthouse “Shine A Light” award in 2014 at a benefit in which Wanda Sykes performed. Needless to say, he touched the souls of many.
DONNA LONG
LIKEME®’s mission is to support the LGBTQ+ community. LIKEME® is currently focused on providing scholarships to LGBTQIA+ students. In the past 10 years, the Chely Wright Scholarship Committee has selected deserving recipients, made scholarship awards, and followed the progress of these students. Starting in 2022, LIKEME® will make block grants to UMKC’s Diversity Program and Emergency Fund where there is the greatest need for those young LGBTQ+ students.
The Chely Wright LIKEME® Scholarship provides financial support for students pursuing a college degree who actively advocate for LGBTQ+ youth and/or to students who are severely affected by teen bullying or suicide of LGBTQ+ youth. Through this scholarship, LGBTQ+ affected youth can apply for funding to pay for educational expenses to pursue a degree from an accredited college, university, or technical/vocational program.
LIKEME® will match donations up to $5,000
$134 of $5,000 raised
OUR DOCUMENTS
(The following obituary was beautifully written by John Long’s sister, Donna Long. I want to share it here for anyone who didn’t see it.)
As a kid growing up in Chicago, John, or Long John as he was known, was famous for giving neighborhood “horseyback” rides, wagon rides, winning all the races we invented, and being a pallbearer for all our many bird and bug funerals held in the “prairie” next to our home. John had a daily morning paper route and so he was up in the wee hours before any of his siblings. We were all crazy mad at him one Easter Sunday morning when, after arriving home from his paper deliveries, he decided it would be a good idea to search the house for all of our hidden Easter baskets and display them for us upon our awakening. Where’s the fun in that?? John’s happy childhood came to an abrupt halt when our father died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 45. John became the man of the house at the young age of 11 and bore a heavy burden from that time on.
After receiving his degree in Journalism and Communications from Southern Illinois University, John worked as a bartender at many wonderful restaurants and bars, most notably, The Pump Room in Chicago, Illinois. There he met some of his long-term friends with whom he shared many great tales and celebrity sightings. From there he worked for various publications up until he founded Camp Kansas City Magazine with his partner at the time, Jim Gabel. Later, John became the sole owner of Camp and continued to publish a successful, informative and entertaining periodical for the Kansas City LGBTQ+ community with the most clever and creative covers, thanks to the collaboration of his colleagues at Camp.
While John resided in many cities, including Chicago, Carbondale, San Francisco, and Alexandria, his final destination of Kansas City, Missouri became his true home. John, along with many others, was instrumental in founding Pride Ride in Kansas City. He was compassionate and always quick to volunteer in whatever fundraising efforts could be made to assist those living with HIV/AIDS. He was a loyal friend to so many people. He loved to recommend animals in need of adoption, cars that you absolutely must purchase, and homes he thought would be perfect for you. He was also quick to recommend a good deal of any kind. John’s good deeds were not overlooked and he was honored to receive the LIKEME Lighthouse “Shine A Light” award in 2014 at a benefit in which Wanda Sykes performed. Needless to say, he touched the souls of many. We love you and miss you, John. Rest in Peace dear brother.
John Long Journalism Scholarship April, 2022
LIKEME® is proud to announce it is establishing a Journalism Scholarship in the name of John Long. LIKEME® will match all donations made this year at www.likeme.org in John Long’s name to fund the JOHN LONG SCHOLARSHIP. Please donate any amount by navigating to the DONATE page and LIKEME® will match that amount, which will be awarded to a deserving student at UMKC in the name of John Long.
Scholarship Program – July, 2022, and Forward:
LIKEME®’s scholarship program is currently focused on funding UMKC’s Diversity Program. Their Emergency Program, which provides emergency funds and services to their LGBT students in need, will be our primary goal for 2022 and forward.
Scholarship Program – 2021:
An Internship Program will replace the 2021 scholarship program. The successful intern is a psychology student at Avila College in Kansas City, Missouri, who will assist the organization with social media, and outreach. The Scholarship Program will announce when it is accepting applications in future years.
Scholarship Award - Suspended for 2020:
LIKEME® Scholarships has awarded over $30,000 in scholarships to 35 LGBT-supportive students over the last nine years. Unfortunately, due to questionable school openings from the COVID-19 pandemic and our financial constraints, the Scholarship Program has been suspended until a clear path forward is determined.
Scholarship Awards - 2018 & 2019:
Update: Shawn's mother advises that Shawn joined the Marines and is proudly serving his country. Nate Berkus has requested that his scholarship funds be used to help other deserving LGBT students and those awards have been made. We again thank Nate for his generosity to our scholarship program.
Scholarship Awards - 2017:
LIKEME® Scholarship program is proud to announce that it has awarded scholarships. Awards go to top students to show excellence in LGBT advocacy, leadership, and grades.
Our Scholarship program again thanks Nate Berkus for his $6,000 donation to our scholarship program, earmarked for Shawn, who appeared on The Nate Berkus’ TV Show in 2010 to stop bullying in schools. Shawn’s brother, Seth, was a victim of school bullying which led to suicide. Shawn’s advocacy has helped bring awareness that “all words have consequences.”
Scholarship Announcements – 2016:
LIKEME® Scholarship program is proud to announce that it has awarded thirteen scholarships to deserving high school seniors who are going to colleges across the country in Fall, 2016, raising our 2016 budget to $6,500. These top 13 students showed excellence in LGBT advocacy, leadership, grades, success, and financial need. It is the Scholarship’s hope that these students will use their LGBT advocacy at their new colleges to start groups and events that raise awareness of LGBT needs. Schools represented are:
Louisiana State University Louisiana
Missouri State University Missouri
West Virginia University West Virginia
Florida International University Florida
Middlesex Community College Massachusetts
University of Chicago Illinois
Murray State College Oklahoma
Santa Clara University California
Rowan College of Burlington County New Jersey
Maryland Institute of Art Maryland
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Kennesaw State University Georgia
Brown University Rhode Island
Scholarship Announcements – 2011 – 2015:
LIKEME® Scholarship program awarded scholarships to a total of 20 deserving high school seniors who would be attending their first year of college, from the east coast to the west coast, with a budget total of $10,000 over four years.
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