Brendan Foley Award

History: Composed by 2013 Head Coach Nick Ricci

Brendan Foley was a FHST member in the early 1990s. He was tragically killed by a truck while riding his bike on Ardmore Blvd in 1996. He was 15 years old. Brendan was an active, an vocal member of the FHST. He was also an active member of the Pittsburgh Irish community, and a student at Central Catholic High School. At school, he was a student, athlete, altar boy, musician, step dancer and friend to many. His high school rowing coach, Glen Hascar, described Brendan as “a once in a lifetime person”.

During the sad days following his passing, thousands paid tribute to Brendan at his viewings and funeral. To give you an idea of the impact that Brendan had on his community, consider this story from Maggie Foley, Brendan’s mother. “At Brendan’s viewing, one woman stood in line for over an hour to see us. She was accompanied by her daughter, a shy little girl who peeked at me from behind her mother’s leg. The mother said, ‘I don’t know you, and I didn’t know your son, but my daughter knew him from the pool. She said that we had to come’. Brendan had made a friend half his age and it wasn’t surprising. That was the type of kid that he was.