Much of Bernard Daly’s life seems to have happened despite great odds. He was only five when he and his family left Ireland, landing in Selma, Alabama during the Civil War. When his parents died, he lived with siblings in different parts of the country and somehow found his way into college and medical school before he finally found his home in Lakeview, Oregon where he would spend the rest of his life.
It’s tempting to call Bernard Daly’s life a rags-to-riches story, but to do so would be an incomplete description of his remarkable life and legacy. Daly did come to America as a poor immigrant, and over the course of his life, he became successful and prosperous. However, it is not his financial success that defines his life; instead, it is what he did with his wealth – he invested in the future of youth he would never meet.
As his life seemed to be against all odds, so was the start of the scholarship. Following his death, Daly’s relatives challenged his will and then the state wanted to tax the estate even though it was going toward a charitable purpose. The challenge to the will was overturned in federal court and the state legislature overturned the governor’s veto so that the estate was not taxed, and all the funds could be used for the scholarship. Seemingly against all odds, the scholarship was first awarded in 1922 and has been awarded each year ever since.
And, though it also seems to be against the odds, we’re making a movie about Bernard Daly and his remarkable scholarship. To stay on schedule and do on location filming in Lakeview in May, we need to raise at least 80% of our goal by April 1st. With two months till our deadline, we’re almost halfway to our goal but still have a way to go. Here’s how you can help.
- Make a donation through our GoFundMe web site.
- Donate by sending a check made out to: Daly Fund Movie LLC. The check should be mailed to Kathy Boespflug, 10416 W. Rockwood, Boise, ID 83704.
- Consider being an investor in the film (minimum $10K). If the film is profitable, investors will receive their initial investment plus a 20% premium and share of profits in proportion to their investment. Please contact me (sam.stern@oregonstate.edu) if you are interested in becoming an investor in the project.
Note: If the film is profitable, 10% of the profits will be given to the Daly Scholarship Fund.
