THE LORAS COLLEGE MAGAZINE | VOL. 59 | NO. 1 | WINTER 2010

Friends Believe in Honoring Her Memory
BY TROY RABBETT (’06), DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Audrey Fitzgerald lost her life to
bacterial meningitis in 2008
while attending Loras College.
If you’re interested in
following the progress of
these young women up to
race day or learning more
about efforts to educate
campuses about bacterial
meningitis you can access
their blog online at:
http://believeinafa.
wordpress.com
An incredible light was extinguished from this
world on March 2, 2008. Audrey Fitzgerald, a
Loras College sophomore and dear friend,
daughter, cousin, niece and athlete, lost her life
to bacterial meningitis.
In Audrey’s short time on this earth she
managed to create such an impact on the lives
of her family and friends that those surviving
her are striving for a proper tribute to a life
which affected so many.
As Audrey’s friends struggled to cope with her
passing, they also strove to ensure that her life
not be forgotten. “We felt the only way to give
proper recognition for the fulfilling life she led
was to establish a named award for her at
Loras,” said Colleen Savory (’09), a close
friend of Audrey’s. Savory explains, “We
wanted to establish something to help future
Loras students because that is the best way to
preserve Audrey’s incredible life.”
In addition to the award, several individuals
will be completing the Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago
Half Marathon on Aug. 14, 2011, including:
Savory, Amanda Lynch (’08), Marikate
Murray (’08), Kim Chalekian (’09), Shannon
Cox (’09), Kristin Engle (’09), Sarah
Goodworth (’09), Maggie Huguelet (’09),
Jenny O’Connor (’09), Tara Riley (’09),
Rachel Whartman (’09), Alex Clesen (’10),
Annie Zegarac (’11), Leah Holle (alumus) as
well as a group of Audrey’s family and friends
from her hometown of Independence, Iowa.
At the advent of this idea, the young ladies
became aware that its reach would far surpass
more than just fundraising and training for the
race. They see the Audrey Fitzgerald Award as
a community effort. “We have created a blog to
share memories of Audrey and keep everyone
up-to-date on our progress over these next few
months,” said Savory.
Institutional News | Spring 2011
Their initial goal is to raise $2,000 by Aug. 14,
in hopes of presenting the Audrey Fitzgerald
Award in the fall and to establish it as an annual
award opportunity for an incoming Loras
student.
In order to achieve this goal the young women
are reaching out to friends and family in hopes
of making this idea become reality. As recent
graduates they see the financial difficulty for
most of their peers. However, they hope their
online presence and encouragement demonstrate
that any gift, regardless of amount, will
make a huge difference in honoring Audrey.
Gifts can be made online through the Loras
College website at www.loras.edu/donate;
simply check other in the designation box and
write, “Audrey Fitzgerald Award” in the
comments section. Checks can also be mailed
directly to the Loras College Office of
Development, noting the Audrey Fitzgerald
Award in the memo.
“Audrey was loved and cherished by many,”
said Savory. “It is our hope that this award, in
conjunction with raising awareness about the
dangers of meningitis on college campuses,
will help to keep Audrey’s memory alive.” �
A group of Audrey’s friends gather to honor her memory.
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