News & Events

Homecoming Chapel speaker Doug Ellis '00 felt the love of the Norfolk Academy community throughout his 12 years of school.

“NA was like a second home to me," he said.

That feeling of love and sense of community came through long after Ellis graduated, at a time he needed it most. In 2018, Doug and his wife Rachel lost their daughter, River, when she was just 2 days old. Heartbroken, they received comfort from Bulldogs far and wide who wrote letters, reached out to offer help, and even flew in just to be with them.

“It was very clear that we were not in this alone," Ellis said.

Unfortunately, everyone does not have that level of support, the Ellis family realized. The next year, they created the River Ellis Foundation, a nonprofit that now serves about 500 people each year who have suffered unexpected hardship.

Earlier this year, while fundraising for the foundation, Doug experienced Bulldog love yet again. He signed up for an Ultraman competition in Florida: 6.2 miles of swimming, 261 miles of biking, and 52.4 miles of running over three days. Racers must bring their own crews.

Doug's team, led by classmates John Bain and Charlie Burroughs, kept him cool, watched his path for alligators, and promoted him on social media. He finished sixth overall and raised more than $35,000 for the foundation.

“I'm so grateful for the community I know will always exist here," he told the students. It is a school that brought lifelong lessons about “friendship, honesty, hard work, and the value of showing up for others."