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Rotary awards $84,004 in grants

Grants totaling $84,004 from the Lakewood-Rocky River Rotary Foundation will provide scholarships, encourage student achievement, fight hunger, and foster programs for community health and wellness.

The total is the largest amount in history, and the 24 grants to local community organizations totaling $61,236 was both the largest number and largest dollar amount of grants in history.

Each year, the Rotary Club of Lakewood and Rocky River requests grant applications from non-profit organizations that serve our youth, adults and community within Lakewood and Rocky River. Since its creation in 1952 by then-Club President Carl Dryer, the Foundation has enabled the club to provide over $1.25 million in student scholarships and grants, accomplished due to the generosity of the club’s philanthropic membership.

Rotary awards scholarships
to six area high school seniors

From left) Rotary Club president George Hwang, scholarship winners Piper McElfresh, Gregory Friel, Flint Slankard, Charieon Doxley, Elizabeth Weir, Zoey Serna, and Rotary scholarship chair Jon Fancher.

The Lakewood-Rocky River Rotary Club awarded college scholarships to six area graduating seniors at its weekly lunch meeting on Monday, June 2. Recipients were Flint Slankard of Rocky River High School, Gregory Friel of St. Ignatius High School, Elizabeth Weir of Avon High School, and Charieon Doxley, Piper McElfresh, and Zoey Serna of Lakewood High School.

Each student will receive a $3,000 scholarship award from the Lakewood-Rocky River Rotary Foundation. This $18,000 scholarship program is part of nearly $78,000 that the Rotary Club donates to community programs each year.

Rotary recognizes speech, music,
visual arts student achievement

Winners of Rotary’s Four-Way Speech Contest, and the annual music and visual arts competitions, were honored at a gala event at the Beck Center on April 14.

Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lakewood and Rocky River, the contest annually highlights the incredible talents of students attending one of five high schools – Lakewood, Lutheran West, Magnificat, Rocky River, and St. Edward.

Speech contest first place winner was Alessio Matera from Lakewood High School with a speech entitled, “Trump 2.0.” Avani Sabharwal from Magnificat High School earned second place with a speech entitled, “The Dangers of American Isolationism.” Both students represented the club at the Rotary district 6630 competition on April 12.

Placing third was Delaney Starr, “The Box,” and fourth was Mel Diemert, “Title Generated By AI.” Both are from Lakewood High School.

peeches must be of original content and be based on “The Four-Way Test of Rotary” which asks, “Is it the truth, Is it fair to all concerned, Will it build goodwill and better friendships, and Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”

Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood has been a valued partner of Rotary for this event, serving as the liaison to educators at the high schools and providing the venue and judges for various phases of the competitions.

This is the 80th year for the club’s speech competition, and the twenty-eighth year that the Beck Center has collaborated with the Rotary club for these student competitions.