Editor’s note: This letter is from the family of Aaron Dineen, a 5th-step apprentice in Outside Line, who was fatally injured on the job in 2009 while working in the San Clemente area. Those wishing to donate money or obtain more information on the Aaron Dineen Memorial Scholarship Fund should contact Cassie Jackson, program officer, 705 J Street, PO Box 615, Hoquiam, WA 98550, or cassie@gh-cf.org.
Dear IBEW Members,
On Sept. 22, 2009 we lost our son to a job-related accident. To lose a child is the parent’s worst grief. But the purpose of this letter is to thank you for your generous giving, I would come home to find envelopes on the doorstep full of cash, or personal checks from friends of Aaron’s or people we didn’t even know—from the flaggers on the ground to a retired lineman who purchased a brick with Aaron’s name on it to be placed at a memorial for fallen linemen.
So, on July 26, 2010 we took a check to the Grays Harbor Community Foundation and formed “The Aaron Dineen Memorial Scholarship Fund.” This is a vocational scholarship. The scholarship will provide $1,000 per year to attend an accredited trade school.
Again, thank you very much, as this scholarship would not exist if it wasn’t for the generosity of Aaron’s union brothers and friends. This is a very meaningful way to honor our son.
Note: A unit motion was made at the October 20, 2010 Outside Line Construction meeting in Vacaville to contribute $1,000 a year to support this scholarship fund.