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The Forever 56 Foundation was founded in memory of Eric James O’Connor, who died as a result of an auto/ATV accident in July 2017. Eric would have been a senior at Belleville High School the fall of 2017. He was an avid outdoorsman. He also was very involved as a youth with multiple organizations, such as Cub Scouts, 4-H, choir, youth sports, and high school sports.

It was decided that even though Eric was no longer with us, that his legacy must live on. The O’Connor Family, along with several family and friends, created the Forever 56 Foundation in memory of Eric. This foundation was founded to support local youth through scholarships and support of youth groups as a way for Eric’s legacy to continue. The name Forever 56 came from Eric’s high school football number 56.

In the first year of existence, the goals of the Forever 56 Foundation were far exceeded. The Forever 56 Foundation was able to give $20,000 in scholarships and an additional $6,400 in donations to other organizations supporting the youth of the Belleville and surrounding communities. This would not have been possible if it were not for the tremendous support of our local communities! The members of the Forever 56 Foundation would like to thank all of you for this support! It is truly amazing what the power of community can achieve! Because of you, Eric’s legacy lives on and has made an impact to the youth of our local communities!

We are again asking for your support. The Forever 56 Foundation will be hosting its 2nd Annual Sportsman’s Banquet on Saturday, March 30, 2019, at the Deer Creek Sportsman’s Club in Mount Vernon. Tickets are still available for this event. They will be available for purchase on Thursday, March 14, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Monday, March 18, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at J&M’s Bar in Belleville. Tickets can also be purchased by contacting Steve and Sherry O’Connor at (608) 832-6250, Korey Trainor at (608) 595-8698, or Chris Meier at (608) 219-9624. If you would like to sponsor the Forever 56 Foundation, please contact anyone listed in this article as well. Follow the Forever 56 Foundation on Facebook for news of more upcoming events, such as the 2nd Annual Trap Shoot coming up in July 2019. More details on the trap shoot will be forthcoming. Thank you again for your support!