A scholarship memorial fund in honour of tragic bike crash victim Ewan Sampson has raised a staggering $25,000.

And trustees hoping to turn the account into an annual award for budding computer experts have revealed they want the target total to climb into six figures.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars would allow Penny and Tyrone Sampson to realise a dream which was born after their son's bike was involved in a head-on collision with a bakery van on April 21.

Ewan, 17, had already secured a place to study information technology at the University of New Brunswick in Canada.

Now his parents want other youngsters with the same university ambitions to have access to college funds.

And they will plant a poinciana tree at Saltus Grammar School's playing field, to create a permanent peace garden in their son's memory.

Island Trading will donate a cedar bench to go alongside the tree, to be planted on June 25.

And four top-ranking Bermudians have agreed to sit on the fund's selection committee, to decide who should receive each annual award.

Former Premier David Saul, ex-Senate President Albert Jackson, former Bermuda College President Archie Hallett and Bermuda Monetary Authority head Jimmy Brock will all help choose who has earned the scholarships.

Appleby, Spurling and Kempe have drawn up the trust. And both of Bermuda's high street banks have now opened accounts for people to donate to the fund.

Ewan's mother Penny, a former teacher at his Saltus school, said she was still recovering from Ewan's death.

"It's taking time but I'm getting there slowly,'' she said.

"The fact that so many people are helping us set up the scholarship fund has helped. We've got around $25,000 already.

"Both banks are involved now. And so many people are helping us now, too many really to mention.'' She said former Saltus head boy David DeCosta had returned to Bermuda, heard of Ewan's death and immediately started to arrange a walkathon to raise funds for the scholarship.

The walk, between Saltus and Warwick Academy, has been scheduled for June 21.

Mrs. Sampson, of Sun Valley Road, Warwick, added: "We're really pushing this scholarship now. "We're trying to push the idea that if we can get young Bermudians trained, they can play a very important part in the Island's future.'' Trust co-ordinator Chris Wineinger, President of Woodwin Ltd., said: "We are talking about a target figure into six figures, now.

"It's too early to talk about exactly what it might be because that has not been decided yet.

"But we are hoping to provide a substantial scholarship to promote the information technology industry in this country.'' The Charities Board rubber-stamped the Sampson family's application to make the fund a registered charity, so the appeal could start officially.

Ewan, renowned for his computer skills, died in hospital hours after he crashed into a bread van when his moped kickstand became caught in the road.

The fatal crash scene -- on Middle Road, Southampton -- was just yards from the spot where 27-year-old Mark North was killed when his bike also ploughed into an oncoming van, 11 days earlier.

Anybody wishing to contribute is asked to make donations to the Ewan Sampson Memorial Scholarship fund, account number 70115742 at the Bank of Bermuda or 20-006-060-881768-200 at the Bank of Butterfield.

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