Less than three weeks before what would have been J.P. Medeiros’ 43rd birthday, the scholarship fund named in his memory awarded its 100th scholarship to Mt. Hope High School senior Tommy Godbout.
Godbout played on Mt. Hope’s ice hockey team until his sophomore year, when he received a bone marrow transplant to treat leukemia.
“The community that was around me was amazing. … I think I would get a text every single day from at least one person on my team,” Godbout said. “I don’t know much about the communities in other sports but I do know that the way the hockey community has rallied behind us has been incredible, and I’m sure J.P.’s parents know that, so that’s why this scholarship means a lot to me.”
For Godbout, ice hockey has reminded him of the sportsmanship within the sport, beyond just his teammates.
“We had these shirts that we were selling — they said ‘Fight for five’ on them. My coach would send me pictures. There would be teams in Maine that would be wearing my shirt.
“It’s just such a big community and such a supportive community, and so to me, the sportsmanship really extends beyond the game, and I think that that’s one of the biggest things I love about the sport.”
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The J.P. Medeiros Jr. Scholarship Fund awards local student-athletes pursuing postgraduate education. Godbout received the scholarship at Mt. Hope’s Senior Class Night on June 5, alongside fellow senior Kayden Carney. This year, two Barrington students, Adam Gorman and Arden Wilkes, also received the scholarship, bringing the total scholarships awarded to 102.
J.P. Medeiros, a Mt. Hope graduate, died in April 2002 while attending Quinnipiac University, and the scholarship fund began soon afterward. The first award was given out just two months later from donations received at his memorial service, when J.P. was buried wearing the now-retired No. 17 Mt. Hope hockey jersey.
“What we chose to do to manage the grief of our loss [was to] turn it into the celebration of the other young people because it becomes medicinal,” said J.P.’s mother, Maryem Medeiros. “When you can do something in your child’s name for another child, a little bit of them comes through the door and you see what you can give back without expecting anything back.”
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