Deegan Tubbs, a fourth grade student at Fords Prairie Elementary, is the recipient of the sixth Noah Markstrom Award as he was honored during an end-of-year assembly Monday morning.
The award is named after Noah Markstrom, a former Fords Prairie student who died at age 6 from brain cancer in November 2019.
Each year, Markstrom’s parents, Kyle and Kara Markstrom, pick the winner out of a group of nominees who best exemplify Noah’s characteristics of perseverance, courage, positivity, kindness and joyfulness.
Eleven students were nominated, with Tubbs winning the award. Tubbs is the younger brother of Dakota Tubbs, a 13-year-old boy who was struck and killed by a vehicle while skateboarding in Centralia on May 2.
Dorinda Iverson, Noah’s kindergarten teacher, presented the award to Deegan Tubbs, who received tickets to Wild Waves Theme and Water Park in Federal Way, among other prizes.
Noah’s family founded the nonprofit Noah Jon Markstrom Foundation, which aims to raise funds for scholarships for those pursuing pediatric medicine.
“Noah’s Buddy Bench,” a bench by the playground which includes his own handwriting and drawings, remains on the playground in his memory.
Deegan Tubbs took photos with his award on the bench with the Markstrom family, as well as his mother Kelley Tubbs and brothers Dillon Tubbs and Damian Kasik.
