"It is my hope that The Dustin J. Matthews Memorial Fund at The Children's Home in Winston-Salem will bring a taste of the joy of physical fitness and a love of the outdoors to both the full-time residents and the day treatment participants as they conquer a ropes course, hike a trail or go rock climbing.

Dustin lived with his divorced mom in his early years in Florida, and when she re-married, his new step-dad adopted him. As he grew, Dustin developed a special place in his heart for children. Many would say he never gave up that precious part of himself - his child within - which gave him his empathic quality as well as his unquenchable curiosity.

As a child, Dustin won many trophies for bicycle motocross (much different than it is today), and he loved to swim. Then he went on to soccer, tennis and wrestling - excelling at them all. In 1996, he hiked the entire Appalachian Trail.

Dustin spent a great deal of time learning about what makes our bodies work - from nutrition to complex physiology. He went into business as a massage therapist and became much sought after by a number of our Olympic track and field stand-outs. His ability to re-align muscle and loosen tendons was accomplished with an equal ability to promote one's potential and loosen the grip of negative thinking."

Karen Colman, Dustin's Aunt

It is the desire of the Matthews Family that all funds given to The Dustin J. Matthews Memorial Fund be restricted for the purpose of providing physical fitness and recreational activities to children at The Children's Home. All money received shall be restricted for that purpose, in the hopes of creating a legacy that Dustin would surely be proud of.