Hunter W. Pearson Memorial Scholarship Donation

Hunter was a standout athlete at Columbia River High School in Vancouver, WA and was due to graduate on June 10th, 2017.  He was soft spoken, because words were not Hunter Pearson.  A teammate shared that “He had a way of uniting everyone without saying a word.” Still, a fellow senior friend said, “when he spoke, you heard him.” He had earned a Legacy Scholarship to attend Utah State University in the Fall where he committed to play Aggie football.

On Saturday May 27th, 2017 he tragically drowned at Lacamas Lake while with friends enjoying an early summer day.  River head football coach Christian Swain coached Pearson for one season, but puts him in an elite group of exceptional kids he’s coached in his nearly 20 years. He labels Pearson as the complete package because “he really reflected everything we want from a young person.”

“He’s a person we’ll point back to for many, many years as an example of what we all strive to be in our community, and what our student-athletes look like — he reflects the quality that we represent in every way,” Swain said.

On the field, Swain described Pearson as River’s equivalent of ex-Seahawk Marshawn Lynch — Beastmode, shown by the plethora of Skittles bags left at the River Rock over the 48 hours after his death— as an all-league running back and outside linebacker. Last fall, Pearson rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and scored eight touchdowns in the Chieftains’ 5-5 season. Yet that strength also was demonstrated by how gentle he was off the field. He was a model student, and recently honored at an assembly for perfect attendance.  But his passion for football was second to none.

To honor Hunter, his parents used the money they saved over his lifetime to attend college to start a memorial scholarship fund for other football athletes that demonstrate Hunter’s passion for life both on and off the field.

Your purchase of my art continues to support Hunter's memorial scholarship. #HP30