Celebrating Blake's Life

On August 27, 2018, Blake Bottarini, a thriving 17 year old young man, was driving to school just days into his senior year at Serra High School when his life was taken from us in a tragic auto accident.

At this point in his life, Blake was happy, confident, and motivated. Family and friends meant everything to Blake, and he loved spending time with them and his twin brother Evan. Blake had a passion for mechanics and building, with auto mechanics holding a special place in his heart.

Blake did not always feel confident in his abilities and skills due to his daily challenges with dyslexia and ADHD. When Blake was in 1st grade his parents noticed that reading, writing, and penmanship were very difficult and frustrating for him. He began to get in trouble for being distracted, disruptive and not finishing his work. The school offered Blake and Evan testing and tutoring from the school’s resource center. This was helpful, but was clearly not enough for either of the boys. After extensive research into outside evaluation and support, Blake’s parents were able to put the appropriate support services in place for the boys. This eventually led them to Charles Armstrong School, a school with teachers trained to help students with learning differences. It was at Charles Armstrong that the boys were taught in ways that addressed their dyslexia and ADHD and honored their gifts and strengths. They gained confidence and began to thrive.

One in five children are dyslexic, and for these children developing reading skills can be very challenging. Many schools do not have resource centers and trained teachers to identify and support students with learning differences. Diagnostic testing and tutoring are essential to help support these students, but these services can be expensive. Blake Memorial Foundation (BMF) is committed to making a difference in the lives of these students. The funds raised by BMF will help students develop their gifts and strengths through community education, evaluations, teacher training, and related community services.