12-year-old Honors Huber’s Memory

July 22, 2015 by Renee Fischer

Lacrosse fan Truitt Sunderland asks for gifts to the university instead of birthday presents

When young Blue Jays fan Truitt Sunderland learned of the death of Johns Hopkins University freshman lacrosse player Jeremy Huber, he wanted to do something about it.

So, for his 12th birthday party, instead of presents, he asked his friends to make gifts to Johns Hopkins, in honor of Huber.

“I thought how hard Jeremy worked to get to Johns Hopkins, and him not being able to play one single game, I think is just terrible,” says Truitt, who has been playing lacrosse himself for six years and is on a team with the children of Johns Hopkins Head Coach Dave Pietramala, A&S ’90.

Huber – who was studying cognitive science at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences – died on January 26, 2015; he was suffering from influenza that developed into pneumonia.

“Jeremy’s death allowed us to pause and talk as a family about what it means to be the best that we can be at every opportunity that we have in life,” says Athan Sunderland, Truitt’s father. “It makes me feel very good as a parent to see my son have an idea of giving some money to the university to help other kids achieve their dreams.”

Truitt and his friends gave $400. Inspired by this generosity, other Hopkins supporters are adding their own funds. And since Jeremy loved to play the piano as well as lacrosse, the funds will be used to start a piano scholarship to help students attend the Peabody Institute. In total, over $72,000 of the $100,000 goal has now been raised to establish this scholarship.

Gift of every amount are needed to reach this goal – and to create scholarships at Peabody and across the university.

(Being 12 is not a requirement for giving.)

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Topics: Alumni, Blue Jays Unlimited (Athletics), Peabody Institute, Support Scholars