$7K in scholarships now available for WHS seniors
At its March 3 board of directors meeting, the Westfield Lions Club approved adding two new scholarships for Westfield High School (WHS) seniors.
Both new scholarships are $2,000 each and are available to WHS seniors planning to attend trade or vocational schools. The names of the scholarships are the “Russel Career Development Scholarship” and the “Trade & Vocational School Scholarship.” These new scholarships are in addition to the Club’s Lester L. Tudor Memorial Scholarship ($1,500) and the Florence Benson Memorial Scholarship ($1,500).
The Russel Career Development Scholarship is in recognition of Lion Don Russel’s service to the Club. He has been a Westfield Lion since 2004 and is solely responsible for the development of the Club’s extremely successful semi-annual “Poker for Sight” Texas Hold ‘Em tournament. This tournament is now recognized as one of the top games in the Midwest, with players coming from outside of Indiana and even the country to play in it. The tournament’s top prize is $10,000, and a total of $25,000 is paid out.
In addition to the tremendous work done by Russel is organizing and developing the tournament, he volunteered for virtually all the Club’s service projects. His hard work and dedication to the Westfield Lions Club earned him the “Lion of the Year” award and the highest award from Lions Clubs International – the Melvin Jones Fellowship.
In addition to his work with the Westfield Lions, Russel was a key figure in the early development of the Westfield Youth Sports program. His role in WYSI was critical in the creation of the successful organization it is today. He and his wife, Lana, recently moved to Oregon to be closer to their daughter and grandchildren.
The two new scholarships were developed with the intention of assisting students planning to obtain degrees or certifications for professions such as automotive technicians, electricians, plumbers, welders, nursing or cosmetology. The Club members recognize that not every student graduating from high school wants to go on to the typical four-year college, so these scholarships are being offered as way to provide financial help to those students desiring to learn a trade or vocation.