It is that legacy of charity, generosity, and service that Brown’s family is passing on.

Brown contracted COVID-19 in December 2020. He died on Jan. 6, 2021, of complications from the virus. He was 24 years old.

His family is honoring his memory through the Colten D. Brown Memorial Scholarship Foundation — a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

The foundation kicked off by helping to fund the 2021-22 Colten Brown, Mr. Penn State Behrend Award. The recipients were Maribeth Miller of Warren and Michal Bosek of Philadelphia.

Colten Brown, who grew up in Warren County and graduated from Warren Area High School, died Jan. 6 about three weeks after contracting COVID-19. He was 24 years old. Submitted photos

Brown was a 2018 graduate of Penn State Behrend.

“He was a young man with a heart for all those he came to know,” Brown’s mother, Pam Bright, said. “He got his professional start working in Children and Youth Services and later moved on to Adult Probation helping people rebuild their lives.”

Now, his family is creating an annual scholarship.

“It’s important because Colt had a legacy,” Bright said. “It’s all about how he cared about people. Once you met Colt, you were a friend for life. We want to carry that legacy on.”

The scholarship will be awarded to Penn State Behrend students who exhibit those traits of charity, generosity, and service that were central to Brown. “Caring about people, working hard, doing what you have to do to get to where you want to be,” Bright said. “He just cared. He’d stop whatever he was doing.”

To help fund the scholarship, the family has scheduled the inaugural Colten D. Brown Memorial Golf Scramble.

The four-person scramble will start at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 11, at Cable Hollow Golf Course.

There were 10 spots available as of Wednesday and organizers were expecting a full card of 36 teams.

Registration may be done in person at the course or by calling the pro shop at (814) 757-4765.

Net proceeds benefit the scholarship.

One doesn’t have to be a golfer to enjoy the event.

“We are having a basket raffle that has gone crazy,” Bright said. “Even if people do not golf, come up anyway for this basket raffle. Just come and join us. Just come and enjoy the day and what it’s all about with us.”

“A big thank you to everyone who has helped make this a success,” she said.