By Ryan Berry

DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — The Greenville Rotary Club distributed $43,500 in scholarships and grants to local students and non-profit organizations at a special luncheon on Tuesday, June 25. The money for the scholarships and grants is made possible through funds generated from Lemon Shake-Up sales at the Darke County Fair and other fundraising efforts by the club.

Christy Bugher, chair of the community grants committee, called the annual fund distribution her “favorite day of the entire year.” She stressed that being a Rotarian is putting service above self. “We get to give away $43,500 today. It’s pretty exciting,” she declared. The club gave $10,000 to scholarship recipients and $33,500 to local non-profits. Bugher said of the non-profits, “We know the work you are all doing is so vitally important.”

Kristen Fee, chair of the scholarship committee, thanked club members for working hard and generating the funds they distributed on Tuesday. Generally, the club gives eight or nine scholarships each year, but this year they were able to give 10 $1,000 scholarships to local students.

Fee explained the club received over 40 applications and the committee, which included Fee, Becca Cotterman, Christy Bugher, Wes Lynch and Kyle Lehman, narrowed down the applications to 16 after it looked at academics, community service and financial need. They interviewed the 16 applicants and awarded 10 scholarships. The 10 recipients are:

Braden Keating, Tri-Village, will be attending Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and majoring in chemical engineering.

Kiersten Wilcox, Tri-Village, Will be attending Oklahoma State University and majoring in Animal Science.

Jayden Hicks, Greenville, will be attending The Ohio State and majoring in Agriscience.

Isabella Black, Tri-Village, will be attending The Ohio State and double majoring in Sport Industry and Communications.

Zoe Billenstein, Versailles, will be attending The Ohio State University and majoring in Health Sciences with a pre-occupational therapy track.

Erin Leensvaart, Greenville, will be attending Washington University in St. Louis and will be focusing on Art.

Joanie Hall, Franklin Monroe, will be attending Manchester University and majoring in Exercise Science and Business

Dylan Riffell, Versailles, will be attending Ohio Northern with an education focused on Electrical Engineering.

Heidi Stammen, Versailles, will be attending Wright State University and will be focusing on physics with concentration in education.

Lauren Pohl, Versailles, will be attending Miami University and her major is undeclared.

Thirty-six non-profits received a portion of the $33,500 given. Those organizations are: Annie Oakley Committee, Annie Oakley Golf Tournament/Cancer Association of Darke County, Boys & Girls Club, Brethren Retirement Community Bocce Ball Court Equipment, Brianna’s Hope, Bridges to College, Cancer Association of Darke County, Community Action Partnership – Homeless Shelter, Catholic Social Services, Coalition for a Healthy Darke County – mental health speaker, Community Christmas Dinner, Council on Rural Services – Aces Program, Council on Rural Services – Gateway Youth, Darke County Association of Fire Chiefs, Darke County Center for the Arts, Darke County Park District, Darke County Pregnancy Help Center, Darke County Recovery Serivces – WATM, Darke County Senior Outreach, Darke County United Way, Empowering Darke County Youth, EUM Church – Next Step Helps, EverHeart Hospice, FAME, Garst Museum – Darke County Historical Society, Greenville High School – BPA, Greenville High School – Interactive Media, Greenville High School – Yearbook, I Am Well Foundation, Illumination Ministries, Main Street Greenville – Mural Committee, Radiant Hope – Back to School Block Party, The House that Lulu Built – Grief Care Classes, ventureLINX, Wayne HealthCare Foundation, and YMCA of Darke County.