The LM ‘Learn to Earn’ Student Athlete Scholarship

Patricia “Trish” (Francis) Litafik Bryant was born and lived in Pike County, Kentucky. Her love for athletics began as a young girl when she picked up playing basketball. She was a fierce competitor! After her son was born, she loved being a baseball, basketball and football mom. She rarely missed a game that her son Chris Hurley played in. She was always the loudest fan in the stands and the first to challenge a bad call. She and her husband Mike Litafik were also UK Wildcat and New York Yankees fanatics. They spent much of their free time watching both televised and live games. They were well known for this, as well as their hard work ethic and giving nature. They took great pride in serving the community through their local small businesses. They both felt that sports were an essential part of life so they found it important to donate from their businesses to the local school sports teams. When their only grandchild Cagan was born, Trish and Mike began instilling in him the importance of hard work in both academics and athletics. Mike taught him to count, taught him the State capitols and even Presidents of foreign nations. When he was successful with the lessons, they’d both reward him with sports equipment. This is how the ‘Learn to Earn’ tradition began with them. Soon he was playing team sports and they bought him his first basketball ball goal, Tball bat, and football pads and helmet as ‘Learn to Earn’ rewards. They loved to sponsor his teams, too, and grew to care deeply for his teammates, often rewarding their game or tournament wins with treats and cash. He always made sure to remind the players that it wasn’t the winning that was important but it was keeping their grades up and working hard to do their best. Before Mike passed away in 2017, he asked Trish to always keep this tradition alive and she did so with joy. After finding love again, she married Doug Bryant and recruited him to travel the nation with her supporting Cagan and his teams. No matter the weather or how far she had to travel, she wanted to be in the stands cheering for her favorite players.