Collegiate Times

The family of a Virginia Tech student who died from injuries sustained from a skateboarding accident on campus has created a foundation in his name to promote helmet safety.

The Gregory Weiner Foundation honors the freshman engineer who fell off a skateboard on Monday, Dec. 15, while riding down Aggie Quad Lane, the road that leads from West End toward Slusher Hall.

According to his friends who witnessed the accident, Weiner was riding around the corner when the skateboard slipped from under him and he fell backward, hitting his head. Weiner was not wearing a helmet. His friends called Virginia Tech police, who were at the scene with the rescue squad within minutes.

After being airlifted to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Weiner underwent various surgeries to his head. By Saturday evening -- Dec. 20 -- he was pronounced dead.

Friends and family of Weiner are quick to call him "ridiculous." His sister Erin, a sophomore IDST major at Tech, called him "appropriately inappropriate." Weiner wouldn't hesitate to break into dance, dress up in costumes, challenge his hall to a Super Smash Brothers tournament, or comb the beach for "mayhem" with his friends at Virginia Beach, his hometown.  

"Gregory: self proclaimed ladies man. Pretty sure he's asked every one of my friends on a date," Erin said with a laugh.

"Just to make you feel awkward," added Erin's friend Karli Kegerreis, sophomore public and urban affairs major.

Weiner made friends wherever he went, which included a wide variety of locales. From a military family, he was born in Monterey, Calif., and has since lived in South Carolina, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

"He'd walk in somewhere, and leave, and everyone would love him," Erin said.

Weiner swam and played water polo in high school, and became one of two freshmen to travel with the Tech men's water polo team.

A memorial service was held on Jan. 10 in Virginia Beach, but the family hopes to set up a second memorial service on the Tech campus for friends who couldn't make it. Friends have their own way of honoring Weiner.

 "We retired his N64 controller," said John Fatigate, freshman biology major and Weiner's hallmate from Miles Hall.

Those who want to contribute to the Weiner family are encouraged to donate to the foundation.

Additionally, the Alpha Delta Pi sorority has an event in the works for the weekend of March 20 and March 21 that will involve a fundraising dinner Friday evening and a 5K run Saturday, where all proceeds will go toward the Gregory Weiner Foundation.

"He can't be doing it, so we'll do it for him, we'll do it with him," Erin said.

She feels confident that Weiner was happy from birth to his last days.

"My mom asked if I thought Greg was happy at Tech. Hands down," she said.

Freshman natural resources major Eric DeMatt, Weiner's hallmate, agreed.

"I never saw him unhappy. In every decision he made, no matter the outcome, he never regretted anything. ... It doesn't get any better than that, and I think that's a great example for us to live by."