Since 1962, the West Orange Scholarship Foundation has worked to ensure local students have access to higher education through community-supported scholarships. In 2026, WOSF expanded that mission through a new sponsored scholarship partnership with the Jimmy Crabtree Cancer Fund, creating a designated award for graduating seniors whose families have been impacted by cancer.

“This partnership builds on more than sixty years of serving local students and allows us to focus even more intentionally on students facing cancer,” said Beth Wincey, WOSF President.

WOSF’s commitment goes beyond financial assistance. As Kathee Pierce, Past-President and Board Advisor, noted, “Selecting recipients and following them throughout their college careers is a great commitment of time and energy. The WOSF supports our students emotionally as well as financially, and this collaboration with JCCF validates decades of work done with care and purpose. We are honored to receive this sponsorship opportunity. Assisting those who have experienced the impact of cancer is truly a blessing. Through the years, we have witnessed several of our students affected by cancer enter careers in medical treatment and research in pursuit of helping others and finding a cure.”

Board Member Austin Arthur reflected on the personal meaning of the partnership: “Having lost my father to cancer when he was still young, I know how deeply it affects an entire family. There is something incredibly powerful when support comes from your own community, from people who walk alongside you not just with resources, but with palpable compassion, faith, and prayer. The Jimmy Crabtree Cancer Fund reflects that kind of care, and I am grateful to be part of a partnership that brings this to others, because like many, my family and I once needed it too.”

In photograph:

from left to right: Austin Arthur, Board Member, WOSF; Beth Wincey, President, WOSF; Kathee Pierce, Past-President and Board Advisor, WOSF; Fred Crabtree, Co-Founder, JCCF; and Andy Crabtree, President, JCCF.

Honoring Jimmy Crabtree Through Education and Compassion

The Jimmy Crabtree Cancer Fund was founded in memory of Jimmy Crabtree, who passed away on April 5, 2011, after an eight-month battle with carcinoid cancer. Since its founding, the organization has focused on serving families facing cancer with faith, love, and local support. Partnering with WOSF allows that mission to extend into education, helping students whose lives have been shaped by cancer in their families.

“Honoring Jimmy has always meant serving others with faith and love for this community, and this partnership helps us continue that mission close to home,” said Andy Crabtree, President of JCCF.

Jimmy’s parents, Fred and Sue Crabtree, emphasized the heart behind the collaboration: “When our family went through what we did with Jimmy, we felt God’s comfort through people who were close, present, and willing to carry the burden with us. This partnership helps us extend that same local compassion to students right here at home who are walking through cancer in their own families.”

Together, WOSF and JCCF are ensuring that compassion, faith, and community support translate into tangible opportunity for students facing some of life’s hardest challenges.

Supporting Students Impacted by Cancer