A semi-retired yoga instructor, Linda Sheftel is a charitable force in the community. Sheftel created the Justin Sheftel Memorial Fund in honor of her son, after he was killed by a drunk driver while attending his senior week at the beach. Just three weeks after Justin's passing, his friends decided to create a baseball tournament in his honor, and from there it grew. Sheftel stepped in to continue the legacy, and what started as four teams in the initial year has since grown to 22 teams.
When donations initially started to come in, Sheftel decided to make a scholarship fund for one male and one female senior graduating from Parkland High School. Now, she uses the tournament as a way of receiving the funds for the scholarship. This year, Sheftel will be expanding the scholarship to include not just Parkland but also William Allen and Dieruff high schools. She wants to make an impact on the schools that need it the most. This year will mark the 15th anniversary of the annual baseball tournament and will be held on June 15, the anniversary of the day that Justin passed away.
Sheftel also works closely with Allentown Drives, an inner-city youth program that teaches middle school children how to play baseball and works to instill important life values. “We want to help children who are underserved and don't have sports teams,” says Sheftel. “We thought we were teaching kids baseball, but we are teaching them how to be good citizens.”
