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The 22nd Annual Scholar Athlete banquet, held on March 31st, honored outstanding Scholar Athletes from 11 area high schools.
Each Scholar Athlete received a scholarship for their accomplishments. $500 scholarships were presented to: Lauren Tracy from High Point Regional High School; Joseph Martinek, Hopatcong High School; Connor Grant, Jefferson High School; Sam McMullen, Kittatinny Regional High School; Natalie Elvidge, Newton High School; Bijan Niknam, Sparta High School; Carmella Re, Sussex Technical School.
Natalie Elvidge was also the recipient of a $1,000 Community Service Scholarship, donated by Mr. Ira Lubert.
The $750 scholarship, donated by Lentini Paving and Redi Mix, was presented to Kirby Smith, Lenape Valley Regional High School; the $1,000 scholarship, donated by Ruggiero Funeral Homes, was presented to Michael Deutch, Vernon Township High School; the $1,250 scholarship, donated by the Mitchell Insurance Agency, was presented to Timothy Burns, Pope John High School.
The $2,500 Scholar Athlete scholarship, donated by Ronetco Supermarkets was presented to Michael Johnson, Scholar Athlete from Wallkill Valley Regional High School.
John Mathews and Nelson Hinkley, of Hinkley Auto Sales, presented the first Lin Campbell Memorial Award to Pass It Along, represented by Diane Taylor.
Two guest speakers addressed the banquet. John Tartaglio, a young man from Connecticut, spoke of his experience in overcoming adversity. At age 17, he contracted a rare bacterial infection, and doctors had no choice but to perform life-saving surgery, amputating both of John’s legs and his left bicep. He spoke of his determination to walk at his high school graduation, and his accomplishments completing 5K walks, and competing in triathlons. John’s message: “How far you fall doesn’t determine who you are; it’s how hard you work to get back up”.
Dr. John Mather, a Newton High School graduate, is now a senior Astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Dr. Mather is the recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics, shared with his colleague, George Smoot, for their work to cement the big-bang theory of the universe. Dr. Mather spoke of his early years in Sussex County, and said to the Scholar Athletes, “Everybody tells me what great stuff I’ve done, but I can’t imagine doing the things you have. So, keep it up.”
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The New Jersey Herald and United Way of Sussex County recently held the 14th Annual Gift of Warmth.
The 2006 drive collected more than 430 brand new winter coats and countless hats, gloves, mittens and scarves. These items were distributed through local non profit organizations to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in our county.
Pictured at the kickoff are New Jersey Herald’s Bruce Tomlinson, United Way Executive Director, Suzanne Rosen, and Roger Bosma, CEO of Lakeland Bank.
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