Frank OckenfelsJohn Mayer may have bought himself a diamond-encrusted Big Lebowski necklace for his 40th birthday, but he also put his money toward something much more meaningful.
According to Connecticut publication Greenwich Time, the singer has set up a college scholarship fund in honor of his father, Richard Mayer, who turned 90 last week. The Richard Mayer Scholarship Fund will be available to students in Bridgeport, Connecticut — the Mayers’ hometown.
John’s dad was a teacher in Bridgeport for more than 40 years.
“I couldn’t have expected a better gift than this,” Richard says. “I gave 42 years to the Bridgeport education system and they gave me a wonderful life. This is just a wonderful way to be remembered and be doing something positive.”
The Richard Mayer Scholarship Fund will launch next spring through Fairfield County’s Community Foundation. Graduates from Bridgeport public high schools pursuing a career in education will be eligible to apply for the four-year scholarship.
John says his father’s commitment to education represents “something that’s been in my blood my whole life. As I get older, I develop more and more respect for academics. This [scholarship] is a nice cross-section of what my dad has done and what I’ve done in a way that I think honors the bloodline.”
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