A Little About Our Scholarship’s Namesake.

Our scholarship foundation is named in honor of Jeff Kuykendall.  He died in a tragic traffic accident on Friday, April 19, 1991.  He was a beloved son, brother, husband, step-father, and friend.  He lived life to its fullest and there are too many stories to share on this page.  We appreciate you visiting our site and would love your support in funding our scholarships to the graduates of White and Independence counties in the state of Arkansas.

For many years, Jeff’s mother and closest friends provided scholarship funding for local students going to college.  In 2019, his brother was able to realize an ambition by establishing a non-profit business for the scholarship.  In 2020, we established an official 501 (c3) status.  In the 30th anniversary year of Jeff’s death, we will be able to provide the 1st scholarships in the name of the foundation!  Our goal is to provide at least 2 graduates with a $1,000 scholarship ($500 per semester) in 2021.

Here is a little more about Jeff.  Jeff was born in Hollywood, Florida in 1967.  He lived in Florida and Wisconsin near most of his mother’s family until he was 9 years of age.  To be closer to his father’s family, they moved to Roosevelt, Arkansas.  He graduated in the last class of Pleasant Plains High School. The following year, the school consolidated with Floral to become Midland High School. During his time in Arkansas, he built many friends that were like his family.

While in school, Jeff showed a passion for sports.  He especially loved basketball but also enjoyed baseball.  He was an outstanding center and catcher for his high school teams.  He may have the unofficial longest home run for Pleasant Plains High School.  He had several honors and awards during his high school sports career.

Jeff also dreamed and often spoke of becoming a military pilot.  He had a dare devil spirit at his core. He loved the thrill of high speeds on the open roads while driving his Trans Am or Yamaha Seca. He also enjoyed the thrill of the three-wheeled ATV off-road activities.  He loved pushing the limits.

Jeff married his true love, Cindy, in October of 1987.  Cindy and her children, Chad and Brooke, filled Jeff’s heart with pride and joy.  Some of our fondest memories of Jeff are after his marriage and becoming a father. Jeff loved being with family and friends.  He would go any distance at any time to be with or support his friends and family.

More about our Foundation

The first 501(c)(3) organization that we created is the academic scholarship entity (EIN: 84-4151835). 100% of all donations received, less the charges by banks, credit cards, etc. will go to the scholarship fund for distribution to students. Our board are volunteers and are not paid. We actually pay an annual fee to our company to be on the board to help seed the costs for the web site, domain names, etc. This ensures that all funds donated by others go to those that are deserving.

This is to carry forward the work that Jeff’s classmates and mother initiated many years ago. The first scholarship was created and funded by the work of his classmates and his mother. Bani (Martin) Meharg, Melinda (Warden) Sharp, Mark Hays, and James Finley helped spear head the effort for the class. This provided a spark and opportunity to create a positive impact from this tragic loss. For many years, Jeff’s mother, her close friend Beth Anderson, and 2 previous employers of Jeff would coordinate the private funding of the scholarship. We want to thank his previous employers Tommy Lewis, Scott Kallsnick, and Vicki Moser for their support through the years. Without all these people that were touched by Jeff’s life, we would not have this organization today.

In Jeff’s honor, this scholarship will prioritize students that are from rural areas, broken homes (single parents), participated in athletics, were great citizens and classmates during their high school years, and are recognized as high potential students by their school leadership or teachers. We will provide at least one scholarship to a graduate of Midland High School. If enough funds are raised, we will sponsor more schools. The focus will be scoped to Independence and White counties in Arkansas. As we grow, we will expand beyond these 2 counties. We want to help leave a legacy on Jeff’s behalf. We know that he would be very supportive of this entity!

One of the goals of Willy is to build out 2 additional 501(c)(3) entities. The first additional entity will be a sports based entity that will help provide funds to local youth teams, athletes, schools, or communities. The goal will be to support the expansion and opportunity for sports throughout Arkansas. The second additional entity will be a special needs organization that will help families afford supplies, medical treatments, camps, and help support organizations that want to expand the work of the Tim Tebow Foundation’s Night to Shine. Check them out - this is truly a great event and organization! We are thankful to state that one of our board members, Tammy, has established a strong event in Northwest Arkansas at her local church, Cross Church Springdale. Hopefully, our non-profit will help others establish similar events, expand their local diversity and inclusion, and benefit the lives of special needs families.