Ledyard ― The Ledyard High School Class of 1973 has announced it has created a scholarship to honor classmate Gary Atkinson, who died in 1988 when he was a passenger on Pan Am Flight 103, which was downed over Lockerbie, Scotland, by a terrorist bomb.

The Class of 1973 said it is preparing to celebrate its 50-year class reunion in a “unique and significant way by establishing the Gary Atkinson Imagine Scholarship.”

The title of the scholarship is a nod to John Lennon's song "Imagine," which was released during the students’ time at the high school. Its “message of unity and peace mirrors the values which Gary Atkinson lived by,” according to the scholarship announcement.

Atkinson, was the class valedictorian, Student Council president and was “recognized for his kindness, compassion, and ability to inspire others.”

The scholarship will be awarded annually to an outstanding Ledyard High School senior who embodies his virtues. The first scholarship will be awarded during a ceremony on June 6.

The class is urging alumni and the community to contribute to the scholarship fund. It also plans to hold a silent auction as part of its reunion festivities to generate additional funds for the scholarship. More information about the reunion and the silent auction will be released in the coming weeks. Interested donors can find more information and contribute to the scholarship fund at https://gofund.me/48ea44c6.