Charles S. and Mary Jane Gannaway Layne Fund was established by Lynchburg native Charlie Layne in April 2024 in honor of his late wife Mary Jane.Charlie & Mary Jane Layne

Charlie says his wife was “a Latin major at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, teacher, church choir member, Appalachian Trail hiker, and mother of four.”

Their third child was born in 1962 with Down’s Syndrome, and Mary Jane worked tirelessly to establish programs to help families with members who have special needs. She served as president of the Board of the Arc of Central Virginia, was instrumental in founding the LAUREL School, and raised funds and spearheaded the involvement of the Job Corps in expanding the Arc Center.

She and Charlie organized a Cub Scout troop for children with special needs. She was honored by the Lynchburg Academy of Women in 1994 with the Homemaking/Community Service Award. Throughout her life, Mary Jane showed patience, love, and compassion for her family, her church, and individuals with disabilities, and our community is a better place because of her.

The Charles S. and Mary Jane Gannaway Layne Fund is donor-advised, allowing Charlie and his family to recommend grants from the fund to their preferred local nonprofit organizations.

Provides scholarships for graduating high school seniors in memory of Kevin Boeren. 

Kevin Boeren graduated with honors from Lord Botetourt High School in 2016. As a star soccer player (#8), Kevin was admired by classmates and coaches for his dedication to the team and academics. During high school he was also a standout player for the Roanoke Star travel club, even playing in Europe. He was well-known in the soccer community and was pursued by several colleges to play on their teams.  

Kevin was an active member of the Bonsack United Methodist Church youth group and Botetourt Young Life. He contributed to many community service endeavors while also completing summer mission trips to the Choctaw Nation Reservation in Mississippi. He was a lifeguard at the Botetourt Athletic Club throughout high school and college. 

Kevin had a huge and contagious laugh and a tender heart. He never met a stranger and was always the life of the party. 

From an early age, Kevin excelled at all sports and had a special passion for outdoor pursuits like hunting and fishing. He had a huge respect for and love of nature. When hunting, he paid tribute to whatever animal was harvested. 

"Kev," as he was known to his family, attended Emory & Henry College, where he was a valued member of the soccer team. He earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Emory & Henry in three years while maintaining an honors GPA. He graduated in 2019. 

Kevin went on to receive a prestigious internship with Disney in Orlando, Florida. 

Tragically, Kevin was a victim of gun violence and died in January 2022. He was 24 years old. The world was robbed of an enterprising, fun, engaging young man. 

His parents established the Kevin Boeren Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation in March 2022. Each spring, deserving high school seniors are selected to receive the scholarship. Through these scholarships, Kevin's life is honored and his legacy of striving for excellence continues. 

Read about the 2023 Kevin Boeren Memorial Soccer Game here.