Joe Long Foundation Inc.

06/16/2026

The Joe Long Foundation is proud to announce our first-ever “Be Like Joe” $500 Scholarship recipients!

This year, we had the honor of recognizing outstanding senior student-athletes from across Morrow County who exemplify the qualities Joe valued most: kindness, leadership, service to others, strong character, and a commitment to making their communities better.

Congratulations to our 2026 recipients:

🏈 Mount Gilead High School – Gauge Shipman
🥎 🏐 Northmor High School – Aly Pollard & Jillian Zeger
⚾️ 🏀 Highland High School – Zach Church & Owen Winklefoos
🏃‍♀️ Cardington-Lincoln High School – Lillia Roesky

While each of these students has achieved success as an athlete, what stood out most was their dedication to serving others and making a positive impact both on and off the field/court. Their stories reflected the same community spirit, selflessness, and heart that Joe demonstrated every day.

We are incredibly proud to honor these young leaders and are excited to see the difference they continue to make in their communities.

Congratulations again to all of our recipients, and thank you for helping us carry on Joe's legacy.
To next year's senior student-athletes: keep an eye out for the 2027 “Be Like Joe” Scholarship application! We can't wait to hear your stories of leadership, service, and community impact.

06/05/2026

Some amazing opportunities this summer for our youth!

We have a lot of youth opportunities over the Summer! Below you will find several of them. It’s awesome that we have so many people willing to pour into our youth! We hope to see you take advantage. I will continue to post more opportunities as they arise.

06/04/2026

✨Congratulations to two incredible Morrow County Baseball teams! The Northmor Golden Knights for advancing to the final four and to the Highland Fighting Scots for becoming District Champions! We are so proud of you here at the Joe Long Foundation and love how you are representing our amazing County!

We want to wish the Golden Knights the best of luck as they continue on their journey of (hopefully) becoming State Champions! 👏

05/16/2026

Way to go, Mason! He bowled a perfect game! What an accomplishment as a young athlete! 👏 We are proud of you! 🎉 Representing Morrow County, proudly! We love it!

04/24/2026

Our hearts are heavy as we join our neighboring community in mourning the loss of East Knox senior, Aidan Riggle.

While not from our county, Aidan was part of the same conference and athletic community that brings us all together. His strength, courage, and resilience in the face of cancer touched so many and will not be forgotten.

We extend our deepest condolences to the Riggle family, his teammates, friends, and the entire East Knox community. During such a difficult time, we are reminded of the importance of coming together, lifting one another up, and leading with compassion.

Praying for comfort, peace, and strength for all who loved him.

Today, our Bulldog community experienced a profound loss. One of our seniors, Aidan Riggle, passed away after bravely fighting cancer this year.

Aidan showed incredible courage, strength, and resilience, and his impact on those around him will not be forgotten.

We lift up the Riggle family, as well as Aidan’s friends, classmates, and teachers in our thoughts and prayers. During times like this, may we lean on one another and surround each other with kindness, love, and support.

04/20/2026

Some people just make a place feel better, and John Walker was one of those people.

It’s hard to put into words the kind of impact he had. He showed up for people, helped when it was needed, made you laugh, and never hesitated to share his faith. He had a way of making you feel comfortable and cared about, like you mattered.

He loved his family deeply and was proud of this community. You could see it in how he lived and how he treated others.

We’re keeping his wife, his kids, and everyone who loved him in our thoughts and prayers. He’s going to be missed by so many.

Celebrate the life of John Walker and join others in sharing memories, stories, and condolences.

04/15/2026

‼️ Today is the FINAL day to submit your entires for the Be Like Joe Scholarship! Don’t miss out on your chance to receive a $500 scholarship! 👏

✨ Just a reminder-
-there are no GPA requirements,
-further education is not required to receive it,
- you simply need to be a graduating senior athlete and attending one of the 5 Morrow County high schools!

-Submit a (at least) one minute video with a letter of recommendation (we know you kids can make tik toks longer than that 🤣) with how you have made a difference in your community.

-Joe Long Foundation

04/11/2026

🚨 WEDNESDAY IS THE DEADLINE!
Don’t miss out Seniors! Just a quick video on on how you have impacted your community, and you could receive a $500 scholarship! Mount Gilead High SchoolCardington-Lincoln Local Schools Northmor Local School District Highland High School-Marengo, Ohio Gilead Christian School

03/21/2026

We want to say a very sincere thank you to Kyle Mckenzie and Britta McKenzie for their incredibly meaningful donation to the Joe Long Foundation.

Kyle and Britta have always been more than friends to Joe. They have been like family to the Longs, sharing so many memories and years of friendship that mean so much to all of us.

Even though they now live in Florida, they continue to support what we’re doing in Joe’s name, and that truly means a lot. Their community is lucky to have them, just like we were.

Their kindness and support help us continue giving back to youth athletes and carrying on Joe’s legacy.

Thank you, Kyle and Britta, for being such an important part of Joe’s life and for continuing to stand with our foundation.

02/27/2026

Our community is heartbroken as we remember Sophia Rose Chafin, a bright young life taken far too soon.

Sophia loved being active, especially playing softball, and she carried a dream far beyond her years. She wanted to become a professional horse trainer one day. That kind of dream requires courage, strength, discipline, and determination. Equestrian training is a true sport, and for someone so young to already envision herself pursuing something so ambitious speaks to the beautiful spirit she had.

As a community, we mourn alongside her family, friends, teammates, and classmates. May we continue to surround them with love, support, and prayers in the days ahead. ❤️🖤

https://www.gompffh.com/obituary/Sophia-Chafin?fbclid=IwdGRjcAQOyJJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEehpNvf_SGW8Z_87DlclKM0IufC7mQINbp7aw8F9GpkTvxVrWKyNcsml9i0IY_aem_hh2ylEa_y0pVozKM5N3QXQ

Celebrate the life of Sophia Chafin and join others in sharing memories, stories, and condolences.