Another new Lion inducted into the Club
By JEFF LARRISON
Westfield Lions Club
At their May 1 “Scholarship Awards Night,” the Westfield Lions presented eight Westfield High School (WHS) seniors with scholarships totaling $17,000. The Lions’ annual tradition of recognizing and rewarding deserving students is the Club’s highlight each year.
This year’s scholarships included $500 awards to the Male and Female Athletes of Year. This year’s recipients were Will Harvey and Addi Kooi.
The $2,000 Florence Benson Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Ava Britton-Heitz. Flo Benson was a well-respected and long-serving Home Economics teacher at WHS. (The program is now known as Family and Consumer Science.) She was also the wife of Lion Bob Benson and mother of Lion Rodney Benson. The Benson scholarship winners are selected based on their involvement in community service – the key mission of Lions Clubs International.
The Lester Tudor Memorial Scholarship was established to honor Tudor, who was a principal at WHS in the late 1950s and an active Lion. This year’s winner was Maryn Babb. The Tudor scholarship winner is also selected based on community service involvement.
The two Service Over Self (S.O.S.) Club Scholarships were awarded to Mia Gordeau and Layla Ryan. These two young ladies went above and beyond with their involvement in the club and their work serving others. The Westfield Lions have worked closely with the S.O.S. Club since its inception during COVID. The two clubs have a mission of serving others, so it’s a perfect fit for teaming up on service projects and fundraising.
Three years ago, the Lions began offering two new scholarships: the Trade & Vocational Scholarship and the Don Russel Career Development Scholarship. The Lions recognized a need to encourage and support students who might be interested in pursuing degrees and certifications at schools other than traditional colleges and universities.
The Don Russel scholarship was named in honor of one of the Club’s most influential Lions in its 95-year history. Don Russel’s involvement in the Westfield Lions Club resulted in developing the Club into the successful organization it is today. His vision and leadership lead to the origination of the Club’s wildly successful semi-annual Poker for Sight tournament. This tournament, established in 2009, has allowed the Club to award hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants, scholarships, and donations.
(From left) Bill Nesbitt, Rob Ginder, and Bob Benson. (Photo provided by Westfield Lions Club)
To cap off the evening, Past District Governor Bob Benson inducted a new member into the Lions Club. Rob Ginder becomes the 69th Lion in the Club. He is sponsored by Lion President Bill Nesbitt.
The Westfield Lions are looking for men and women to help them increase the Club’s impact on Westfield. If you are interested in learning more about the Club and how to become a member, go to WestfieldLions.org.
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