by Siobhan Richards
The Miles and Smiles for Michaella event in memory of Michaella Walsh Libby was held at the Morgan Bowl on October 21. Libby was a member of the HHS class of 2010, and she attended the University of Maryland before her passing in 2012.
Her parents, Marty and Erin (Walsh) Libby; younger brothers, Nick and Ben Libby; as well as friends and family join together each year to put on the event. This year the Michaella Walsh Libby Foundation became an official non-profit charity, and it has added a third scholarship.
To raise money for the foundation each year there is a 5k walk around Hudson, as well as events such as the high heel dash. In addition, there are small raffles donated by family, friends and local businesses, and a larger raffle to win a trip to Tuscany, Italy.
They give scholarships each year. One goes to a HHS senior who is dedicated to serving the community and is going into the field of public health, just as Michaella was. This year’s recipient was Cara Sullivan who is interested in the public health field at the University of New Hampshire. The second scholarship goes to a student at the University of Maryland, who is also an AOII sorority sister. This year a third scholarship will go to three children in Honduras to attend bilingual schools as part of a joint effort with the Students helping Honduras foundation.
As a Hudson High School student, Michaella participated in cheerleading, gymnastics, and track and field. Each year the current cheerleaders help run the event. They provide balloons and sharpies for the balloon release. Each person has a balloon and may write a message to their loved ones who have also passed away.
The foundation continues to grow each year, keeping not only Michaella’s memory alive, but her passion for helping others.