If you’re lucky, at least once in your life, you will come across a unique and special individual—someone who inspires, motivates, and unites an entire community. That was Rocky's gift. Rocky was an old soul, mature beyond her years. No matter how she was feeling, she always put others before herself. She was a ray of sunshine for many and will be remembered as a pillar of optimism, kindness, inspiration, and undeniable toughness. She had friends from all walks of life.

Rocky was first diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in early 2019, when she was in 8th grade. The initial tumor was in her left clavicle. It was surgically removed, and she was treated with 14 rounds of chemotherapy.

Rocky’s journey began in December 2018 when there was a tender bump on her collarbone, followed by a fracture in January 2019 that was perceived to be the result of a basketball injury. After weeks of little improvement, further tests were completed, and in April 2019, Rocky was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare and highly aggressive bone and soft-tissue cancer typically found in children and young adults. It is the second most common bone cancer, with fewer than 1,000 cases diagnosed each year, making up 10–15% of all bone sarcomas. In May 2019, Rocky’s battle officially began with nine months (14 rounds) of chemotherapy, two surgeries to remove her left collarbone and tumor (August 2019), and the implant of a titanium collarbone (November 2019). In January 2020, Rocky completed her chemo regimen and officially rang the bell; she was cancer-free!

Rocky played basketball since the first grade and served as a Middle School Travel assistant coach while in high school.  She also spent countless hours as a volunteer. She played CLBL basketball in grades 3-6 and played three years of middle school travel from grades 6-8 at Harper Park.  She also played AAU travel basketball from grades 3–7 and made the girls’ varsity team at Heritage High School as a freshman. She practiced when she could and supported her teammates on and off the court for four years. She was not able to play in games. Except for one. Senior night, on January 21, 2023. She was able to get in for spot duty, and in Rocky fashion, she took her only high school shot and made it; a three with mere seconds left on the clock, like she had done more than a few times before in her brief career.  Rocky graduated from Heritage with honors, and a 4.4 GPA.  She desired to be an industrial engineer.

The cancer relapsed four times. After 21 rounds of chemo, 40-plus treatments of radiation, several hospital visits, and seven surgeries, Rocky passed away on February 11, 2024, three weeks shy of her 19th birthday.

Please visit Rockycares.org, a non-profit set up in Rocky’s memory to raise money to help find a cure for Ewing, and to help spread sunshine for those in need.  You’ll also see a clip of her one and only made high school basketball shot.

Selection Criteria and Submission Details for the Rocky Elardo Memorial Scholarship
(2025 - 2026)

All scholarship applications must be submitted by midnight on Friday, January 23, 2026

Mandatory Needs

1. Google Account (To login and submit/edit your application)
2. Submitted documents MUST be in PDF, and will be uploaded

Eligibility

1. Applicant must be a high school senior graduating in 2026.
2. Applicant must be enrolling in a 2-year or 4-year accredited institution of higher learning in Fall of 2026 (the scholarship funds will be distributed DIRECTLY to the institution).
3. Applicant must be a CLBL Alumnus (played on a CLBL team - house or travel - at any time between their 1st and 12th grades). You will be asked what years you participated.

Submission Items

1. Applicant will provide complete contact information. Please use a personal email address, not your school email address.
2. Applicant must submit documentation / evidence of community service (e.g., letters from the benefiting group, an award for the service, etc.)
3. Letter(s) of Recommendation (LoR) Note:  For any LoR, in the application, you will be asked to identify who will be sending it to CLBL. Please provide the LoR Form from our website to your Recommender and ask them to send it (in pdf format) to scholarship-admin@clbl.org. They should include your name in the Subject line.
   • Applicant will secure one or more letters of recommendation from appropriate parties (high school teachers, counselors, community service organization leaders, etc.)
   • Applicant should secure a letter of recommendation from one of your CLBL coaches (head or assistant); this is optional, but HIGHLY recommended.

1. Applicant will submit a letter explaining the following key points:
   • How you have excelled in each of the 3 areas important to Rocky
     1. Academics (grades, honors, awards, etc.)
     2. Athletics (personal participation, achievements, awards, etc. including leadership)
     3. Community Service (not just what you did, how it improved our community)
2. Talk about how you best demonstrate the four characteristics that defined Rocky’s legacy:  Accountability, Selflessness, High Standards (in everything you do) and Empathy.  Give specific examples of each characteristic on how it relates and applies to you. 
3. Close with a paragraph on why you feel you should be honored with the Rocky Elardo Memorial Scholarship based on what you know of her life and achievements (as detailed on the CLBL website and the RockyCares.org website).