Scholarship for CV players established

This year the Central Valley football family tragically lost two people with ties to its program.

In remembrance, the school is establishing the Kristian Burkland/Julie Butner Courage Scholarship on their behalf.

Kris Burkland, was killed July 9 when his car hit a deer on Interstate 90. Burkland, 25, who graduated from CV in 1996, was home visiting before beginning his final year of medical school at the Chicago School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Julie Butner, whose sons Mark and Ryan are assistant coaches at CV, died from cancer two months later.

“Julie was such a supporter,” said Jackie Chalmers, a close friend who spearheaded the scholarship, “we wanted to do this to honor them.”

Butner, Chalmers said, had battled ovarian cancer for five years.

“She was my best friend and such a fighter,” said Chalmers, whose son, R.J. DelMese quarterbacked the ‘95 team. “She was the first to get a GSL season pass and was at every football game.”

She said that the scholarship will be awarded to a football player each year. Because of short notice, she is seeking contributions to the CV Sports Foundation, a fund-raising group for school activities.

Next year, she said, that organization will become involved in helping fund the scholarship.

Burkland, a defensive back, and Ryan Butner, a running back, were CV classmates and starters on the 1995 CV football team that went undefeated in the Greater Spokane League.

Donations can be made to the:

Kristian Burkland/Julie Butner Courage Scholarship

c/o CVAF

508 S. Shoreline Drive

Liberty Lake, WA 99019