Darren Haney Memorial Scholarship Fund

02/07/2026

This is my least favorite time of year. I’ve never enjoying having a birthday in February. It’s cold. It’s dark. It feels like it’s time to go to bed at 7:00 pm.
Which is why, I am again, this year, asking you to honor my brother, Darren, with a donation to the Darren Haney Memorial Scholarship Fund. Darren’s birthday is February 7th. Mine is February 18th.
https://www.sicf.org/dhaney
Your gifts make possible scholarships which are given in memory of Dr. Darren W. Haney, who served as the ESL Coordinator for the Murphysboro School District for three years {2017-2020), where he taught ESL at the high school as well as at the elementary and middle schools. Darren often spoke of his time teaching in Murphysboro as the happiest time of his life, and of his great affection for his students and fellow faculty members.
Darren was a passionate and dedicated teacher who cared immensely about his students, both inside and outside the classroom. Darren was a caring and generous soul. He was always willing and eager to respond when he saw someone in need.
We, his family, honor his memory and hope to continue his legacy of learning by awarding scholarships to graduating seniors every year. Rest assured that your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate $5 or $500. Every little bit helps.
It’s the time of year when seniors will be applying for scholarships, which will be awarded in May. Please help me create some light in what has been a dark and sad time for many people.
Thank you and blessings,
Dawn
P.S. Poetry never spoke to me as much as it did to Darren. And yet I found, in the most unlikely of places (television), something that felt more like poetry to me than anything ever has. I find it especially meaningful at this time of year, both because of the season, and because of Darren. I don’t know who wrote it – I just know it was spoken at the end of an episode of “Call The Midwife”.
"When the autumn starts to dampen into winter…should we say
the nights are getting dark? Should we thrust our hands in our pockets and anticipate the chill?
Or should we say light the fire, draw close, it will not be as cold as you imagine.
The seasons will always turn…the clouds will gather, and the cold will come. We will survive them.
We will grow regardless of the weather. We will know wonder where there has been despair.
There will be happiness and we will remember it. There will be friendships which we won’t forget.
Love is the constant whereby we endure all winters and all storms. It is the climate in which all things can thrive.
Welcome the darkness; embrace it as a canopy from which the stars can hang; for there are always stars when we are where we ought to be, amongst the faces we love best. Each with our place, each with our purpose, as fixed and familiar as the constellations.
The darkness is beautiful, for how else can we shine?"

11/01/2024

Hello my Carbondale friends! On this Dia De Los Mu***os, if you have time and are so inclined, perhaps take 15 minutes to stop by the cemetery and sing/play a Spanish song for Darren Haney. Blessings.

03/24/2023

02/07/2023

It's that time of year again. It's a time I've come to dread. Darren's birthday is tomorrow, February 7th. I don't think it will ever matter how long he's been gone, it will never seem real to me. I miss him so much and wish he were here to play the guitar, make me laugh with his funny voices, and catch up with what's going on with his nephews. And that's just me. I know there are many other friends, family and loved ones who also feel the pain of Darren's absence. So here I am again, doing one of the only things I could think of to do to make just a tiny bit of good come from this loss. If you are able, please make a donation to the Darren Haney Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of his birthday. Below is a photo of Marco Alvarez, the 2022 Darren Haney Memorial Scholarship Recipient. I felt a tiny bit better when I saw this photo, knowing that the love and generosity that Darren had for his students is living on, helping them to continue their educations and make their dreams come true. I'd like to thank Byram at the Southern Illinois Community Foundation for sending me this photo.

Thanks to the economy and inflation and bunch of other factors that are way beyond my comprehension, we are still a bit short of being able to keep the scholarship going in perpetuity (which basically means the interest from the balance will offset the awards given each year so there will always be scholarship money in the fund even if donations drop off). We're almost there! So whether you would take Darren out for coffee, or a dinner, or buy him a book - please take that money and gift it to a young student in his honor. Happy Birthday Darren. You'll never know how many people love you and miss you. Click here to donate: https://sicommfdn.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1117 Thanks you everyone. Love to you all from Darren's big sister, Dawn

02/08/2022

Thank you to Robert Swenson, Cheryl Van Abbema, Kimberly Jones, and my dear sister in law, Laura Van Abbema for your generous donations made before I was able to make a proper fundraiser on Facebook. Thanks to those who have donated so far, we have $700 to add to the official tally. Bless you!

02/06/2022

This is my least favorite time of year. I’ve never enjoying having a birthday in February. It’s cold. It’s dark. It feels like it’s time to go to bed at 7:00 pm.

Which is why, I am again, this year, asking you to honor my brother, Darren, with a donation to the Darren Haney Memorial Scholarship Fund. Darren’s birthday is February 7th. Mine is February 18th.

https://www.sicf.org/dhaney

Your gifts make possible scholarships which are given in memory of Dr. Darren W. Haney, who served as the ESL Coordinator for the Murphysboro School District for three years {2017-2020), where he taught ESL at the high school as well as at the elementary and middle schools.

Darren often spoke of his time teaching in Murphysboro as the happiest time of his life, and of his great affection for his students and fellow faculty members.

Darren was a passionate and dedicated teacher who cared immensely about his students, both inside and outside the classroom. Darren was a caring and generous soul. He was always willing and eager to respond when he saw someone in need.

We, his family, honor his memory and hope to continue his legacy of learning by awarding scholarships to graduating seniors every year. Rest assured that your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate $5 or $500. Every little bit helps.

It’s the time of year when seniors will be applying for scholarships, which will be awarded in May. Please help me create some light in what has been a dark and sad time for many people.

Thank you and blessings,
Dawn Haney

P.S. Poetry never spoke to me as much as it did to Darren. And yet I found, in the most unlikely of places (television), something that felt more like poetry to me than anything ever has. I find it especially meaningful at this time of year, both because of the season, and because of Darren. I don’t know who wrote it – I just know it was spoken at the end of an episode of “Call The Midwife”.

"When the autumn starts to dampen into winter…should we say
the nights are getting dark? Should we thrust our hands in our pockets and anticipate the chill?

Or should we say light the fire, draw close, it will not be as cold as you imagine.

The seasons will always turn…the clouds will gather, and the cold will come. We will survive them. We will grow regardless of the weather. We will know wonder where there has been despair. There will be happiness and we will remember it. There will be friendships which we won’t forget. Love is the constant whereby we endure all winters and all storms. It is the climate in which all things can thrive.

Welcome the darkness; embrace it as a canopy from which the stars can hang; for there are always starts when we are where we ought to be, amongst the faces we love best. Each with our place, each with our purpose, as fixed and familiar as the constellations. The darkness is beautiful, for how else can we shine?"

These scholarships are given in memory of Dr. Darren W. Haney, who served as the ESL Coordinator for the Murphysboro School District for three years {2017-2020), where he taught ESL at the high school as well as at the elementary and middle schools. Darren often spoke of his time teaching in Murphys...

07/03/2021

The Celebration of Life service for Darren Haney will be held Saturday, August 7th, 2021, at the Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship.
1:30pm - Welcome
2:00pm - Service
3:00pm - Reception
CUF is located at 105 N. Parrish Lane, Carbondale, IL 62901. Hope to see you there. ❤

06/25/2021

A Celebration of Life service for Darren Haney will be held Saturday, August 7th, 2021. More details to follow. ❤