The Monmouth College community was devastated at the news about Fighting Scots swimming and diving coach Tom Burek’s passing in December of 2020. Burek passed away after contracting the coronavirus and battling the virus for almost a month and a half.
To honor their beloved coach, Monmouth College and Burek’s family have established a Coach Tom Burek Memorial Scholarship. A fund-raiser for the scholarship has also been announced. A 5K run will be held on August 28th, with proceeds going toward the scholarship. The fund-raiser will start at 9 a.m. at the Lake Bracken Country Club pool in Galesburg. There will also be a 1-mile fun run. You can register for either of the runs online at getregistered.com or through the Coach Tom Burek Memorial Run Facebook page. Registration is open until August 26th. You can also make a donation to the Memorial Scholarship at the same website.
Burek, a retired Illinois State Police master sargeant, was much loved by his student-athletes and the faculty, on the Monmouth College campus. While known for his yellow Crocs that he wore while coaching and his “Goggle up!” roars while his swimmers competed, Burek will be best known for the love and caring that he bestowed upon all his student-athletes. Burke also had a hand, in some way, shape, or form, in nearly every youth swimming teams in the area, including the Warren County YMCA Waterbugs swim team.
To apply for the Monmouth College scholarship, students must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher. The scholarship is open for anyone to apply, not just Fighting Scots swim team members.
***Photo courtesy of Monmouth College Athletics***
