“There is a bench and rock with a plaque to honor Rei at Azule Park because the park has so much sentimental value for Rei,” junior and Rei Trujillo’s sister Tammi Trujillo said. “It was there  she learned how to ride a bike to help her get to elementary school at Blue Hills.”  

Rei Trujillo, a former member of the Lynbrook’s Class of 2021, was loved by many during her time at Lynbrook before she passed away in June 2020. To honor Rei, the Lynbrook Athletic Boosters, a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization, created the Rei Trujillo Athletic Scholarship Fund award in 2021 to honor Rei and her love for Lynbrook’s football and soccer teams. To help vikings with the same passion as Rei pursue athletics, the booster opened the scholarship in May 2021 to all graduating seniors at Lynbrook.

More than $10,000 was raised for the scholarship through word of mouth, with many close family and friends of the Trujillo family donating to the fund to support students like Rei. One graduating senior from the Class of 2021 will be chosen for the scholarship and awarded $500. However, eligibility for this scholarship and the amount awarded might be adjusted based on the amount of applications received this year.

“By default, it is a senior scholarship,” said Jamie Chan, a close friend of the Trujillo family who organized the scholarship. “There is a requirement that they participate in two sports because Rei was in two sports. Because Lynbrook only has three sports seasons, we have quite a few athletes who do one, two or three sports, but the point of the requirement is to mirror the legacy of how she did sports.”

After Rei’s passing in 2020, an employee at Rei’s father’s workplace also helped set up a fundraiser to support the family through the challenging period. Initially, the fundraiser was only created for co-workers to help the Trujillos, but since the GoFundMe page was online, many of the family’s friends were also able to find it and support the family. The fundraiser successfully raised $12,400, exceeding the $10,000 goal. 

In addition to the Rei Trujillo Athletic Scholarship Fund award, Rei’s old soccer club, the Saratoga Spurs, created another scholarship to honor her for being an impactful player, coach and role model for younger girls.

The Trujillo family feels grateful for the outpouring of support from their community and the creation of the scholarships that showcase their respect and love toward Rei. They hope that the scholarships created in Rei’s name will financially support other student-athletes and inspire them to play with the same love and dedication as Rei.

“It makes me proud that her name is going to live on impacting people positively like she did,” Tammi said. “My family and I are so proud of her and her legacy.”