JJ DeBrosse with the recipients, Norah Jacomen and Lucia Englund. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
CALEB BALL | STAFF REPORTER | cdball@butler.edu
In 2005, a tragedy occurred. JJ DeBrosse and his wife, Emily, lost their first child, Catherine. The cause was Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which affects about one in every thousand infants. While an event like this can take a toll on families, the DeBrosse household stayed strong and created a foundation in their daughter’s name.
It began as a book scholarship, but at Catherine’s funeral, they had raised close to $9,000 in donations. With the overwhelming amount of money they received from donors, they looked for ways to take it to the next level.
Hinkle Fieldhouse, home to countless Butler basketball games and even the classic movie “Hoosiers,” became the place where the family launched a shooting fundraiser called “Count It! For Cat.” The event allowed anyone to come shoot free throws on the famous Hinkle court while supporting the cause.
The donations came in various amounts from all over the country. Friends and family spread the word, which resulted in funding from 38 different states as well as four different countries.
“It was not — in no way, shape or form — just me and my wife,” DeBrosse said. “I mean, this was our best friends [who] went out and told Cat’s story and got their friends to give money. That’s incredible to think that they were touched by her and what we were doing.”
With $10 and $20 bills, the foundation grew into something much larger. The “Count It! For Cat” fundraiser lasted for 19 straight years, and now the endowment holds $840,000. Instead of buying books and supplies, this amount of money became a pathway for potential students to benefit from.
“On the selfish side, we wanted a way to remember,” DeBrosse said. “We wanted a way to have something that kept her memory alive. On the unselfish side, we wanted to help somebody. We wanted to see if this incredibly dark moment in our lives could be a silver lining someplace. Our little girl won’t go to college, but can we help somebody else’s [daughter].”
This scholarship has had numerous recipients since its inception. It takes immense financial stress off of families, and ultimately helps the college spread the wealth in the scholarship department. Women who have used this scholarship have become doctors, coaches, broadcasters and much more.
Female student-athletes are the target recipients for this scholarship. Recently, it benefitted two juniors on the women’s soccer team: forward Norah Jacomen and defender Lucia Englund.
It is very common for foundations and scholarships to feel disconnected from the recipient, but having the DeBrosse family be so involved has made that a different experience throughout the years. JJ holds the role of Director of Graduate and Professional Recruitment at Butler, and his presence has made an impact on Englund as she continues through her junior year.
“I feel like getting to know the family is also really cool,” Englund said. “I don’t think that happens at every school. You hear the name and you know that you’re under a scholarship, but you don’t actually get to meet the family themselves.”
The impact that the scholarship has had on their lives is more than just financial. Jacomen believes that this scholarship provides a deeper purpose and motivation on top of their athletics and education. The drive to succeed is in place not only for themselves, but for everyone who makes the scholarship special.
“Being chosen as a female athlete makes me feel really special, it makes me want to show up every day,” Jacomen said. “We’re always on the soccer field, but we’re also in the classroom as student athletes. So I think having a scholarship outside of athletic scholarship just helps me work harder in school.”
It also has another meaning to Jacomen. When she was at Butler during her first year, she became an aunt. Having family around her as part of her support system is important to her. Having a nephew, she feels it’s important to be a support system now that there is an infant in her life as well.
SIDS is not something that a parent, aunt or uncle wants to think about, but it is something that needs to be addressed. This scholarship plays a role in Jacomen’s life to be mindful of her nephew and her family members.
“He was actually born while I was here, so I never got to see him for a few months,” Jacomen said. “So it’s really special to me, especially having my own infant in my family.”
Setting future female athletes up for success is only one of the benefits that the DeBrosse family has achieved. Spreading awareness and involving the community is another focus for them.
Catherine’s passing was a dark moment for the family, but the ability to create something so beautiful and powerful out of it shows the strength that they have.
“I think when people pass, and especially someone young like that, the last gift they give you is the fact that they bring people together, and I will never forget that,” DeBrosse said. “In the ‘Count It! For Cat’ event, it was very much the same way. There were friends of ours who would show up or come to town [just] for that weekend. There were people that we hadn’t seen before, had lost touch with, or just people who were moved by what we were doing. New friendships get developed and old friendships get rekindled, and that’s the lasting gift that she gives.”
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