JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A new scholarship endowment applicable to St. Johns County high school seniors is currently available, as it is named after and honors a late Jacksonville firefighter who died in an ATV crash in November 2023.
The Tanner Gillespie Scholarship Endowment will be given to at least one St. Johns County high school senior each year who wants to pursue a career in firefighting.
Gillespie, 20, and another man who was the driver of the ATV they rode, were killed after the ATV rear-ended a pickup truck on County Road 309 in Putnam County on Nov. 18, 2023.
The Florida Highway Patrol crash report states that the pickup truck Gillespie and the 21-year-old were behind, approached the intersection at Browns Fish Camp Road, but missed the right turn to get on the road. As a result, when the truck slowed down, the ATV "was unable to slow/stop in time," which then caused the crash, according to the report.
While family friend Chris Shee and his family were processing the loss days after the crash had occurred, Shee knew that he needed to create a way for Gillespie’s legacy to continue, just as he'd done with following in father's footsteps, Gene, in becoming a JFRD firefighter.
"Tanner and his family have been family to mine for 20 years," Shee said in a news release. "My two boys are the exact same age as Tanner and his older brother, Nick, so they’ve literally grown up together as best friends and brothers. When my oldest son called me early on a Sunday morning to tell me the news of Tanner’s passing, it was one of the worst calls I’ve ever received. We were all so proud of and excited for Tanner to pursue his career goal of being a firefighter—something he worked hard to achieve. I wanted to provide a way to honor Tanner for all of his hard work and for being such a wonderful young man. This endowment will provide scholarships in Tanner’s honor in perpetuity."
The scholarship endowment was funded by four groups: Clays For A Cause, MasterCraft Builder Group, Premier Pools and Outdoor Living, and the Shee Family, each contributing $25,000 for a total endowment of $100,000, the release states. Investing in Kids or INK!, an educational charity that serves as the sole support organization for the St. Johns County school district, will oversee the endowment, the release also states.
"This scholarship endowment is not only a beautiful and enduring way to honor Tanner’s legacy but also a testament to the generosity and kindness of Chris Shee and the Shee Family," Executive Director of Investing in Kids Cathy Newman said in the release. "The Tanner Gillespie Scholarship Endowment will not only empower local students to pursue a career in firefighting but will invest in kids for years to come."
Additional donations may be made to the endowment, the release states, in which you can access by visiting here. Click the Tanner Gillespie Scholarship Endowment under the "Select how you would like your donation to be used" drop-down menu.