The Tommy Ellis Memorial Foundation
Welcome to our foundation's website! We are grateful for your support in continuing Tommy's legacy. Together, we can make a difference and honor his memory through our commitment to our mission. Thank you for being a vital part of this journey us.
Our Mission
The Tommy Ellis Memorial Foundation is dedicated to celebrating & continuing the legacy of a man who embodied loyalty, dedication and hard work and who made a profound impact on every life he touched. Inspired by his belief of tough-love and the power of blue collar grit. We aim to empower individuals to realize their potential and embrace the remarkable presence, we committed to using our resources to fund, support and develop programs that build character, foster opportunities and make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who need it most.
Meet the Board
Together as a close-knit group of family and friends, we carry forward Tommy's vision and passion for helping others. Each of us is actively involved in our community, lending a hand to those in need. As proud parents of athletes, we’ve all been touched by Tommy's positive influence in our lives. We stand united in our mission to make a difference for those around.
Stephanie Ellis
President/Treasurer
Co-Founder
BJ Barlow
Board Member
John Holefelder
Vice President
Co-Founder
Maria Bartholetti
Board Member
Tasha Holefelder
Secretary
Co-Founder
Chris Tate
Board Member
Ernie Ellis
Board Member
Nick Nawn
Board Member
Jan Bellace
Board Member
Honoring
Thomas Andrew Ellis
12/15/1980 - 7/1/2024
Click below to learn more about Tommy and his legacy
Holiday Help
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We were able to help out 5 local families this holiday season. We were able to provide monetary gifts, gift cards as well as gifts. Our goal next year is to at least double this.
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We provided a local church that gives back to their community by giving them a monetary donation to help them provide their parishioners a nice Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Dinner and some gifts for the community.
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We also were able to provide 2 other Churches with items from their Christmas giving trees.
The foundation helped local Delaware County Wrestler from Interboro High School, Franco compete at Worlds
3 Deserving Seniors were awarded a $500 Check with 1st Annual Grit Award
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Sun Valley Football Player (also Wrestler) - Danny Digan
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Sun Valley Wrestler - Brandon Carr
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Quakertown Wrestler (Blacksheep Award Winner) - Max Hibsman
Giving Back
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After our July 26th Wrestling Tournament we had a good amount of left over food so we were able to donate to a local church to support their Sunday dinner they provide for their community
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​We were able to sponsor a local rec football team to help them purchase new uniforms
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We were able to help 5 local and very deserving families with holiday help this year
The Foundation Gives Back
1st Annual Tommy Ellis Memorial Foundation Golf Tournament.
Click below for event video - Thank you Jimmy Pro for your amazing footage
​The event was held on Monday June 16tht at Rock Manor Golf Course in Wilmington, DE
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We had a SOLD OUT event, thank you to everyone who volunteered, donated, sponsored and golfed.
Congratulations to our 1st Place Winners: Local 10
Annual Forever A Vanguard Tournament
July 26th, 2026 we hosted the 2nd Annual Forever A Vanguard Wrestling Tournament at Sun Valley High School in Aston, PA We had over 150 wrestlers registered and hosted two sessions, one for our youth division (K through 8th) and one for our high school division (incoming 9th through 12th). A huge thank you to all of the volunteers and the board for helping to make this event a great success. We had a lot of great wrestling that happened and we hope everyone enjoyed the day as much as we all did. ​We were also so thankful to have Greg Payne from FOX29 News and Kendell from Gift of Life in attendance to do a follow up story on Tom and his Gift of Life to others.
We Love Our Sponsors
Click on the logo and go visit their websites
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Tommy Ellis Memorial Foundation
2025 Grit Award Winners
This award recognizes a student athlete who exemplifies relentless determination, perseverance, and mental toughness. It honors the athletes who pushes through adversity, works tirelessly to improve, and inspires teammates through unwavering effort and resilience
All three of the above award winners; Danny, Brandon & Max are all seniors and all received a $500 check to go towards their next chapter whether it is college, military or workforce. We wish them well and continued success on and off the mat. This was made possible because of the continued support shown by our community through our fundraising events. Thank you!
2nd Annual Golf Tournament
Date: Monday June 15, 2026
Location: Rock Manor Golf Course, Wilmington, DE
Documentary Announcement:
Honoring Thomas “Tommy” Andrew Ellis
Together with Jimmy Pro, I am thrilled to announce that we are beginning work on a documentary about Tommy.
After sitting down with Jimmy, we have a vision we are both so excited for, and I am so grateful he is helping to make this happen.
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How You Can Be Part of It
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Share Your Story: If you knew Tommy, we invite you to be part of this project. You can join us on camera in an interview style, or if you prefer not to be filmed, you can write your story and we will narrate it. We also welcome any photos or videos you may want to share. Please reach out to us at temfoundation24@gmail.com. We may also reach out to you so don't be surprised if we do.
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Timeline: Filming will begin in January 2026, giving us time to gather footage and edit along the way.
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Premiere: We are planning a premiere showing on December 18, 2026. Details on the location and time will be shared once confirmed. This special date is just three days after Tommy’s birthday, so we will also celebrate his incredible life together.
We are looking forward to working with everyone and anyone who knew Tom and wants to share their story. We want to hear it all, the good, the bad, the ugly and the great!! It's all a part of his story so let's hear it!