OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – When 19-year-old Daziah Crawford was killed after an impaired driver hit her car, lots of people stepped up and asked what they could do to help the family.
“People were saying you need to do a GoFundMe or how can we give, we didn’t want to selfishly take money without knowing what to do with it,” said Crawford’s aunt, Sharita Crawford.
But a year after Daziah’s death, they knew exactly how to honor her. The family started the Daziah T. Crawford Foundation for young people, following Daziah’s passion for journalism and the performing arts.
“We know that performing arts is one of the first places to get cut in the schools, no matter what school, so we said, you know what, we’re going to focus on providing scholarships for high school seniors and college freshmen to provide scholarships,” said Sharita.
On Tuesday (Dec. 12), Share Detroit acknowledged their efforts to help others in the community by presenting Daziah’s foundation and 13 others with checks in the amount of $1,000.
Janette Phillips, executive director of Share Detroit, says though the recipients were randomly selected, she really connected with the Crawford’s mission.
“We love promoting smaller nonprofits that people don’t really see enough as well as the large ones that everyone knows and loves,” said Phillips.
So far, a total of nine scholarships have been given away to young people pursuing their dreams.
Sharita says they are struck by the talent of each and every person who receives a scholarship in Daziah’s honor, and she thinks she would’ve been proud.
“Daziah would’ve definitely been proud because she is the one who would’ve given her shirt off her back,” Sharita said. “She would’ve been proud of us and the studying and applying for the scholarships.”
They are hopeful that all of those who asked how they could help when Daziah passed will find a way to help now.
The foundation was short $2,724 of their Giving Tuesday goal. To help or learn more, you can visit the foundation by clicking here.