In August 2023, the Papillion-La Vista Community Schools Foundation hosted its annual Back to School Soirée. This event includes inducting new members into the Halls of Fame of Papillion-La Vista High School and Papillion-La Vista South High School.
When a group of men from the Monarch Class of 1989 were honored, the night unfolded into a tremendous show of honor and generosity with the launch and full funding of the Captain Joel Cahill Memorial Scholarship.
"I will say, I didn't go into the evening expecting to fund a scholarship," shares Lee Denker, Executive Director of the PLCS Foundation. "But I'm not surprised now that I think back on it."
The story begins in 1989 with six young men graduating as Monarchs. Many shared the commonality of being a part of the football team, the first Monarch team to go undefeated in its regular season.
After graduating, they each joined the military, and five became full colonels with Colonels Mike McClung, James Howard, Ryan Rogers, and Ron Stuewe of the U.S. Air Force and Col. David Haskell of the U.S. Army.
These five were to be inducted into the Monarch Hall of Fame as a unique group. Despite their initial excitement, Lee says the men shared a sobering reminder. "The colonels brought up that we would have had six."
The sixth they refer to is Army Capt. Joel Cahill, who tragically lost his life to a roadside bomb while serving his third stint in Iraq.
"All of us have worked hard serving the country over the years, and to have that many people make the rank of colonel in the same class is something to be heralded," says Colonel McClung. "But it comes a far third or second to someone who gave the ultimate sacrifice."
McClung explains that when the foundation connected the five colonels, the group's first response was to find a way to honor Cahill and his family. After the colonels were honored at the event, they shifted the attention to Joel's story. The group presented Jerry and Barb Cahill, Joel's parents who were in attendance, a recreation of an autographed towel, “grass stains and all," that was signed by members of the varsity football team at the end of the '89 season. It was then announced that the Foundation would raise money to honor Joel with a scholarship named in his memory.
Each new scholarship requires a $25,000 endowment, the earnings of which will provide enough for a scholarship indefinitely. With a head start donation from the Cobalt Credit Union, Denker was still surprised at how quickly the scholarship was funded that evening. Tracking donations in real time, he says, the fundraiser only took about ten minutes, thanks to generous donations from nearly all attendees.
"By the time the event ended, we were able to tell his mom and dad that there would be a scholarship named after their son," says Denker.
Both Denker and McClung reflect on how this scholarship and the speed at which it was funded speaks to the Papillion-La Vista area's continued support of students and families, including those in the military. “It’s a reflection of the great support that the Papillion-La Vista community gives to its military families,” McClung says. “It’s important to military families because it helps us survive.” He explains that such support empowers members of the U.S. armed forces to better answer the nation’s call, knowing his or her family is being taken care of by the community.
Donations to the Captain Joel Cahill Memorial Scholarship are still being accepted by the PLCS Foundation. Call Lee Denker at (402) 829-1343 or visit plcsfoundation.org to make an online contribution.
"He loved to serve his country." Barb Cahill
"Such support empowers members of the U.S. armed forces to better answer the nation’s call."
