Main Line Chamber Foundation Awards Nearly $71,000 in scholarships to Emergency Responders at Hometown Heroes Event
The Main Line Chamber Foundation awarded nearly $71,000 in scholarships – the most ever – to 35 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians during its annual Celebration of Hometown Heroes on June 9. Scholarship recipients came from firehouses and ambulance services from Chester, Montgomery and Delaware counties, and were selected for their exemplary service to the community.
With these latest awards, The Main Line Chamber Foundation will have given out nearly $550,000 in scholarships to local volunteer emergency responders, the vast majority of whom attend local colleges and universities. The Celebration of Hometown Heroes was created to draw attention to and show appreciation for the volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians who selflessly serve the Main Line and surrounding areas. After two years of virtual celebrations due to COVID safety protocols, this year’s event was held in person at the Lower Merion Township Building in Ardmore.
Several new scholarships were awarded this year, including two memorial scholarships that were established in honor of firefighters Sean DeMuynck and Thomas Royds, who lost their lives in the line of duty last year. The $10,000 memorial scholarships were awarded to two firefighters who exhibited outstanding courage and dedication in their service to the community – Benjamin Schmid from Penn Wynn Fire Company received the Sean DeMuynck Memorial Scholarship presented by Walsh & Nicholson Financial Group, while the Thomas Royds Memorial Scholarship presented by Witmer Public Safety/The Fire Store was awarded to Samuel Shaffer from the Gladwyne Fire Company. Also awarded was the first WSFS Cares Foundation Leaders of Tomorrow Award, which recognizes an individual who exhibits leadership qualities within the volunteer firefighter/EMT community. The recipient of this $5,000 scholarship was Thomas Flynn from the East Whiteland Fire Company.
A tradition that began in 2011 was continued as three Thomas J. Hays Memorial Scholarships were presented in honor of a young firefighter with the Merion Fire Co. who died in the hours following going out on a call. The $5,000 memorial scholarships were awarded to Ethan Tartaglio from the Berwyn Fire Company, Sean Righter from the Glenolden Fire Company and Kevin Dillard from the Union Fire Association.
The remaining scholarships are made possible by the Foundation’s annual Giant Main Line Run/Walk through the streets of Wayne, which is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 11.
“We owe a deep debt of gratitude to volunteer emergency responders, who put their lives at risk by responding to emergency calls,” said Maureen McAleer, chairwoman of The Main Line Chamber Foundation Board of Directors. “All of us at the Foundation feel privileged to celebrate their service and distribute scholarship awards that will enable these deserving recipients to pursue their academic goals.”
The 2022 scholarship recipients, listed alphabetically by last name, are:
Benjamin Abt, Gladwyne Fire Company
Lindsay Baker, Llanerch Fire Company
Elise Bermingham, Berwyn Fire Company
Jermaine Brinkley, Merion Fire Company
Miles Carr, East Whiteland Fire Company
William Clarkin, Bryn Mawr Fire Company
Sophia Crossan, Bryn Mawr Fire Company
Kevin Dillard, Union Fire Association
Weena Doyle, Narberth Ambulance
Thomas Flynn, East Whiteland Fire Company
Brian Friend, Brookline Volunteer Fire Company
Jacob Haury, Manoa Fire Department
Angela Khoudary, Narberth Ambulance
Gabriel Leskusky, Bryn Mawr Fire Company
Jordan Lichy, Berwyn Fire Company
Erin Madden, Bryn Mawr Fire Company
Ryan Marsh, Merion Fire Company of Ardmore
Alexis McElhone, Bon Air Fire Company
Sean Meals, Gladwyne Fire Company
Yookang Nam, Rocky Run Fire Company
Emily Nudy, Berwyn Fire Company
Jack Nudy, Berwyn Fire Company
Sophia Pellechia, Bryn Mawr Fire Company
Wendy Qu, VMSC Lower Merion & Narberth
Sean Righter, Glenolden Fire Company
Alexander Rudnicki, Narberth Fire Company
Lucas Sampson, Rocky Run Fire Company
Benjamin Schmid, Penn Wynne Fire Company
Samuel Shaffer, Gladwyne Fire Company
Regina Solecki, Thorndale Fire Company
Nicholas Sondergaard, Berwyn Fire Company
Ethan Tartaglio, Berwyn Fire Company
Kyle Vaughn, Malvern Fire Company
Devora Weintraub, VMSC Lower Merion & Narberth
Tague Wilkins, Paoli Fire Company
A majority of the scholarships are presented by members of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, who are themselves volunteers. Foundation Board members represent a variety of businesses that are members of The Main Line Chamber of Commerce, which houses and staffs the Foundation.
The primary source of scholarship funds, the Giant Main Line Run/Walk, comprises a 5-kilometer run and a popular 1.5-mile walk, which opens up the event to non-runners and family participation. The course passes through the streets of Wayne; Lancaster Avenue and neighborhood streets are temporarily closed for safety.
On-line registration for the Sept. 11 event is available at www.mainlinerun.org. Sponsorships for the Run/Walk and donations to The Main Line Chamber Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, are accepted year- round. Giant has been the presenting sponsor for the event for ten years. Visit www.mlcc.org for more information.
“The Hometown Heroes event and the Giant Main Line Run/Walk shine a light on the contributions of all our volunteer emergency responders,” said Bernard Dagenais, president of the Foundation and CEO of The Main Line Chamber of Commerce. “These volunteers serve on the frontlines and their tight-knit community has been deeply affected by lives lost in the line of duty over the past year. Through these scholarships, the business community and residents come together to honor and thank men and women who show up to help their fellow human beings in times of need.”
About the Main Line Chamber Foundation
Established in 2001 as a 501(c)3 charitable non-profit organization, the Main Line Chamber Foundation is dedicated to its mission of (1) awarding scholarships to local volunteer firefighters and EMTs; (2) supporting area high schools attending PA Free Enterprise Week summer camp; (3) assisting members’ employees participating in the Chamber’s Leadership Main Line program; and (4) supporting the Fund for Investing in Talent. Please visit www.mlcc.org/your-chamber/chamber-foundation for more information on the Foundation.
