STATEMENT FROM THE OLSON FAMILY / Via Essex County District Attorney’s Office
Olson Family Establishes Sidney Mae Olson Rainbow Scholarship Fund for SHED Children’s Campus to Honor 5-Year-Old Killed on Tuesday in Andover
Andover – In the wake of their daughter Sidney Olson’s death this week, the Olson family has established a
scholarship fund at Andover-based SHED Children’s Campus to provide a vehicle for those wanting to help the family and the community.
All donations will be used to fund enrollment to the school’s “curiosity-based” education for those who can’t afford it, including pre-K, kindergarten, and school-aged programs.
The school is collecting donations through a scholarship-specific site at https://www.shedchildrenscampus.org/give/
The following is a statement from Eric Olson and Mary Beth Ellis on the fund:
“We’re grateful for the outpouring of love and support for our family and friends after the tragic death of our bright-eyed, five-year-old daughter, Sidney. Many in the community have asked how they can help, and this is exactly what our daughter would want you to do.
We’ve partnered with the SHED Children’s Campus to create the Sidney Mae Olson Rainbow Scholarship
Fund in her honor. We plan to keep this fund going for years to come to keep her memory alive at the place that ignited her creative and caring spirit.
Sid sprung fearlessly into every day with curiosity, creativity, and love for her community. She wanted nothing more than for people to come together in shared experiences – in nature, in the classroom, anywhere.
She was known for her soft-spoken style of building bonds across groups, and memorably asked for her birthday party to be a rainbow theme because ‘it’s everyone’s favorite colors.’
In her spirit of boundless love and inclusion, we hope this fund provides opportunity to children who might not otherwise have it – and that it adds rich diversity to the SHED community for years to come.”
