Main Line Chamber Foundation Awards $50,000 in scholarships to Emergency Responders at Hometown Heroes Event
The Main Line Chamber Foundation awarded $50,000 in scholarships to 33 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians during its annual Celebration of Hometown Heroes on June 8. 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 $650,000 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. This year’s event was held at the Lower Merion Township Building in Ardmore.
The event marked the second presentation of the 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 Kenny Dawson, Jr. from the Aston Township Fire Department.
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 Company who died in the hours following going out on a call. The $5,000 memorial scholarships were awarded to Joseph Bleier from the Union Fire Association, Kenneth M. Keagy from the Merion Fire Company of Ardmore, and Michaela Kent from the Bon Air Fire Company.
“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 2023 scholarship recipients, listed alphabetically by last name, are:
Rajiv Anand, East Whiteland Fire Company
Lindsay Baker, Llanerch Fire Company
Elise Bermingham, Berwyn Fire Company
Connor Rian Black, Merion Fire Company of Ardmore
Joseph Bleier, Union Fire Association
Jermaine Brinkley, Merion Fire Company of Ardmore
Miles Carr, East Whiteland Fire Company
William Clarkin, Bryn Mawr Fire Company
Sophia Crossan, Bryn Mawr Fire Company
Kenneth A. Dawson Jr., Aston Township Fire Department
Patrick A Doyle Jr., Narberth Ambulance
Thomas Flynn, East Whiteland Fire Company
Kylee Hall, Bryn Mawr Fire Company
Kenneth Hawkins, Aston Township Fire Department
Lawrence J Howard III, Oakmont Fire Company
Madison Jones, Malvern Fire Company
Chandeep Kaur, Llanerch Fire Company
Kenneth M. Keagy, Merion Fire Company of Ardmore
Michaela Kent, Bon Air Fire Company
Gabriel Leskusky, Gladwyne Fire Company
Jordan Lichy, Berwyn Fire Company
Erin Madden, Bryn Mawr Fire Company
Ryan Marsh, Merion Fire Company
Andrea McElhone, Bon Air Fire Company
Sean Meals, Gladwyne Fire Company
Jack Francis Nudy, Berwyn Fire Company
Evan Patrick, Good Will Fire Company #2
Sophia Pellechia, Bryn Mawr Fire Company
Alexander Rudnicki, Narberth Fire Company
Sam Shaffer, Belmont Hills Fire Company
Ethan Tartaglio, Berwyn Fire Company
Devora Weintraub, Narberth Ambulance
Luke Willette, Narberth Ambulance
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 Main Line Run/Walk presented by The Haverford Trust Company, 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. 10 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. Visit www.mlcc.org for more information.
“These volunteers serve on the frontlines. 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,” said Bernard Dagenais, president of the Foundation and CEO of The Main Line Chamber of Commerce. “The Hometown Heroes event and the Main Line Run/Walk presented by The Haverford Trust Company shine a light on the contributions of all our volunteer emergency responders.”
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.
