Carrie's Story

On August 7, 2000, Carrie Brown was killed in a tragic car accident at the young age of 14. She was riding in the car with her best friends Amy, who was also killed, and Zak, who fortunately survived .  All three attended Greenwood Lakes Middle School in Lake Mary Florida and were on their way home from the first day of eight grade.

Carrie was a very active young girl and one of her favorite things was to attend Camp Wewa every Summer. She excelled in many sports and was quite the marksman.   She held the highest record for 2 consecutive summers at Camp Wewa in both Archery and Riflery.  She also enjoyed soccer, was a black belt in tae-kwo-do and played on a co-ed basketball team.

In the summers Carrie also enjoyed riding horses and four wheelers when visiting her Dad in Minnesota.

Carrie wanted to attend Bishop Moore High School in Orlando, where he sister Jenn went.  She often bragged to friends that she wanted to break the record, held by her sister, for the most varsity letters (14) ever earned by a male or female athlete.

Carrie is sadly missed but it is with the Carrie Brown Foundation that her spirit lives.

About the Carrie Brown Foundation

The Carrie Brown Foundation is a 501-C-3 federally registered charitable foundation established in 2002, in loving memory of Carrie Anne Brown. The mission of this foundation is to continue Carrie's spirit of giving, which was so much a part of who she was.  To accomplish this mission the foundation relies on the generous support of both individual and corporate donors.  It is worthy to note that 100% of the foundations proceeds are used to help less fortunate children.

To recognize a few of the beneficiaries of your generosity through the Carrie Brown foundation, the foundation has awarded scholarships which have allowed children to realize their dream of attending Camp Wewa, a YMCA camp in Apopka Florida, where Carrie spent many weeks each summer enjoying the beauty of the outdoors. In addition to scholarships, many grants have been given in support of special needs programs at area local schools. The Carrie Brown Foundation is proud to have the ability to help improve the lives of children and we are heartened by the generosity and the continued commitment of our supporters.


48 Hours Book "Speed Demon"

Giving Back

The Carrie Brown Foundation "GRANTS

Fitness Center - Greenwood Lakes Middle School

A large storage room located off the main school gymnasium at Carrie’s school, Greenwood Lakes Middle, was renovated for use as a fitness center for the students and staff of Greenwood Lakes School. The transformation went beyond a new coat of paint and new carpet. Rita hired Denise McCabe, a local artist to paint a unique mural. It covers one 40-foot wall and features 14 athletes, including a basketball player, a swimmer and a runner. The mural depicts Carrie in a cloud overseeing the room. Carrie’s neighbor and best friend, Amy Hill, who was also killed in the 2000 crash, appears in the mural as a jogger. The fitness room at Greenwood Lakes is equipped with 30 stationary bicycles, some donated by the Foundation. The Carrie Brown Foundation donates scholarships to students to attend the YMCA Camp Wewa for one week each summer. The teachers at the school decide who receives the honor of this scholarship award.

Educational Computers - Heathrow Elementary

A donation of 6 computers was made to Heathrow Elementary School in Carrie’s memory. At this school, through the Learning Disability Program (SLD PROGRAM) headed up by Mrs. Linda Albury, Carrie overcame a reading learning disability. She became an honor-roll student when she was mainstreamed in 1998. The computers are located in the Special Learning Disability (SLD) Center, which previously only had old, hand-me-down computers because new computers are always allocated to the gifted programs first. These computers were deliberately designated to be used as part of the SLD Reading, Math and Language Arts Programs at Heathrow Elementary School. The Foundation awards a student from this program a scholarship to attend the YMCA Camp Wewa for one week during the summer.

Riflery & Archery Ranges - YMCA Wewa Outdoor Center

Wewa Outdoor Center is a 40-year-old YMCA camp in Apopka that Carrie loved. $20,000 was donated for the purpose of rebuilding and relocating the camp’s ranges for rifle-shooting and archery – two sports at which Carrie excelled. Carrie holds the summer records for 1999 and 2000 in both riflery and archery marksmanship. The Brown Family also helped fund the construction of a 40-foot climbing tower, a first for the camp that hosts 160 campers a week in the summer. Goliath, as they call this mountain among the trees, has nine different climbing sides each with a specific difficulty level. This climbing wall is the largest outside climbing facility in the South East United States. There is a “zip” line attached to the top s of Goliath that sends it’s rider out and over Mud Lake. The ride is a block long and is thrilling for all participants.

Scholarships

Apply For Scholarship

We are awarding scholarships for the YMCA Camp Wewa Outdoor Center this summer. If you know of a child who is a desirable candidate for this program. Please submit in written form a short summary essay of the child that they are recommending. Please include the following:

FAX To: 407.444.5668
1. Child’s Name
2. Child’s Age
3. Central Florida Address
4. Grade in School & Name of School
5. Extracurricular Activities
6. Reasons for financial assistance
7. Submitter’s/Sponsor’s Name

The Foundation’s primary endeavor is to establish a scholarship fund that allows students who could not afford it the opportunity to attend Summer Camp at Wewa

TESTIMONIALS FROM THE WINNERS

Fred Gibson

Dear Carrie Brown Foundation,
Thank you so much for giving me this unforgettable experience at Camp Wewa. I had so much fun! I wish that I could have stayed longer. Some of the best times that I had was when I played dodge ball and board games. Also telling jokes and stories before bed with my new friends in the cabin. I also had a lot of fun trying new things like water skiing, tubbing, canoeing and archery. You do so much in one day that you look forward to lying down for a few minutes. The food was great and a lot better than my school careteria. I look forward to becoming a CIT next year!

Thankfully,
Fred Gibson– Greenwood Lakes Middle School
2005 Camp Wewa Scholarship Recipient

Hayley James

Dear Carrie Brown Foundation,
Camp Wewa is a very successful camp. Having an opportunity to make more friends is always great to be a part of. Working together on different challanges is a way to create friendships that can last you a lifetime. I worked with other people which helped me learn to more responsible and self-confindent. If I didn’t get this scholarship I would never get the chance to go to camp. My mom can’t afford to pay to go to camp. This camp was the BEST summer adventure ever. Thank you!

Sincerely,
Hayley James– Greenwood Lakes Middle School
2004 Camp Wewa Scholarship Recipient

Donate

To make a donation please make checks payable to The Carrie Brown Foundation and mail to the address below.

The Carrie Brown Foundation
2716 Deer Berry Ct.
Longwood, FL 32779