On January 28, 2006, Beverly M. Burton tragically lost her life in a
plane crash after giving a speech on behalf of the Boys & Girls Club in Natchez, Mississippi. In an effort to make a lasting contribution to the organization Beverly loved so much, the Burton family became determined to do something that would memorialize her overwhelming dedication to the Boys & Girls Clubs forever.

Therefore, the Beverly M. Burton Scholarship Trust was established. This Trust is a charitable 501c (3) supporting organization to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Funds raised do not directly support the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama. Instead, the Mission of the Trust is to provide scholarships each year to the Youth of the Year Award recipient (as selected by a committee of the Boys & Girls Club) in the states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. These three states represent the area in which Beverly served while on the National Area Council.