When Annie Gotwald’s young life was tragically cut short, her family was determined to keep her legacy alive.
On Aug. 3, the Annie Gotwald Makerspace and STEM Lab was unveiled at Westfield Washington Public Library, honoring the 9-year-old Westfield girl who died unexpectedly Feb. 1 from an illness.
After her death, Annie’s family created a GoFundMe to support STEM education in Westfield in her honor. In a matter of days, the fundraiser collected more than $200,000.
The funds were used to establish the Ann K. Gotwald Fund for STEM Education, a fund of the Hamilton County Community Foundation. The fund honors Annie by supporting activities that provide access to STEM opportunities for women and girls. The Westfield Washington Public Library was the first beneficiary of those funds.
Annie’s parents said the GoFundMe gave them something positive to focus on amid…
