Recently, the Integrity family was touched to learn about the ways one father has kept his daughter’s memory alive through philanthropy and one very cool custom vehicle.
Jay Ebert, Founder and President of Best Value Insurance Services, tragically lost his daughter, Chelsey, to a rare form of osteosarcoma. The cancer, located in her left hip, was first discovered in 2007, and she passed away nine months later. Chelsey was only fifteen.
In her life, Chelsey was an avid athlete. She always looked forward to the next game, the next season. Her passion for sportsmanship, especially in basketball and volleyball, inspired the Ebert family to find several unique ways to honor Chelsey’s memory through the activities she loved.
The Chelsey Rae Ebert Scholarship was created by Chelsey and her father to support female athletes in her community. The scholarship fund was Chelsey’s idea. Prior to passing, she made it clear that her wish was to develop a pipeline of scholarships for girl’s volleyball and basketball players in her community.
The scholarship is awarded to two female student athletes each year, one athlete from basketball and one from volleyball, and can be used at any school the students select. Since the first scholarships were presented in 2008, they have presented 84 scholarships to aspiring college athletes in their community.
Chelsey’s legacy has grown tremendously. The Chelsey Rae Ebert Trust has raised over $2.4 million. Some of the charitable work the trust has provided includes continued scholarships in the community and the Chelsey Ebert children’s waiting room at St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham, Washington.
Jay, in his eagerness to keep the memory of his daughter with him, also has a unique memorial: a Rezvani Motors custom tank pictured above. This luxury vehicle has several details that honor Chelsey and her athleticism. Her jersey number, 44, is embroidered on the headrests of the vehicle. Light projections also display “44” and an angel wing when the front doors are opened. The VIN number features the number four prominently and, amazingly, the car had exactly 144 miles on it when it was delivered to the Ebert family.
Jay, for his part, says that the vehicle helps him feel like Chelsey is with him. Chelsey never reached the legal driving age, but father and daughter bonded though parking lot driving lessons. “There were good chuckles as she wasn’t the most natural behind the wheel,” Jay recalled fondly, adding that his wife, Stephanie, had been the one who encouraged him to get this touching memorial.
“Chelsey was an angel. She never cried during her journey or even complained for what she was enduring. Not once did she feel special or an inspiration to others; she did not comprehend the magnitude of her work. She had a huge impact and all of her work will be remembered forever.”