TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A year and a half ago, Leon High grad Giovanni Vitrano died in a tragic accident. The former Lion soccer player's life celebrated through the Giovanni Vitrano Foundation, as for the second year the foundation awarding scholarships to three deserving high school senior soccer players.
This year, $10,000 was awarded. Out of forty applicants, Maclay's RJ Hosay and Rickards' Betrice Drayton received $2,000, while Chiles' Jose Gonzalez chosen as the $6,000 recipient.
"When you're going through it, there are those days and nights where I don't want to do this, I want him here," said Ron Vitrano, Gio's dad and the president of the Giovanni Vitrano Foundation. "You see what it does and you see the athletes and you see the students, and you know it's all worth it."
"I could feel my heart pumping after they called the first winner, and after they said the second winner, I figured I was the six thousand dollar winner," said Gonzalez. "I just remember my heart pumping. The rest was kind of a blur."
The money goes right to the University's these student athletes will attend, going towards whatever they need to get their education.
