2021 Vidalia Kiwanis Club Scholarship recipients

This year, the Vidalia Kiwanis Club is proud to have awarded ten scholarships, amounting to $7,500, to graduates from our local schools. Each year, students from Montgomery County High School, Robert Toombs Christian Academy, Toombs County High School, Vidalia Heritage Academy, and Vidalia High School are eligible to apply. (Home school graduates are also eligible to apply to the William Hooker Scholarship.) The scholarships are named in honor of the memory of some of our community leaders and are listed, along with this year’s recipients, below.

• Stephen A Brown

Scholarship ($500) – Makenna Rakes, VHS

• William Hooker

Scholarship ($1000) – Riley Gail Hammock, VHS • omas P Hutcheson

Scholarship ($1000) – Jamiya Farmer, VHS

• Kiwanis Club Family

Scholarship ($500) – Landry Mead, VHS

• R.E. Ledford Schol arship ($1000) – Milagro Fussell, VHS • Cli Poe Scholarship

($500) – Kaylie Gunter, VHS

• Cli Poe Scholarship

($500) – Koby Scott, TCHS

• Dr. Larry Smith

Scholarship ($1000) – Makenzie Sager, TCHS

• J.R. Trippe Scholar ship ($1000) – Jackson Crawley, VHS • Dorothy L. Warthen

Scholarship ($500) – Ryan Norfleet, VHS

Scholarship background: 1. Stephen A Brown Scholarship – A dear friend, in order to honor the 1999 Vidalia Citizen of the Year and past President of the Vidalia Kiwanis Club, established this scholarship this year to recognize Stephen A. Brown. “Steve” was best known for his unique laugh and his words of encouragement. 2. William A. Hooker Scholarship – The family of William A. Hooker III, a sixth-grade student at J.R. Trippe Middle School at the time of his accidental death in 1987, began this scholarship in his loving memory. (Brewton-Parker College) 3. Thomas P. Hutcheson Scholarship – The Vidalia Kiwanis Club, in order to provide a means for the community to honor one of its distinguished citizens and a Kiwanian, established this scholarship to the name of Thomas P. Hutcheson. 4. Kiwanis Club Family Scholarship – In order to recognize the contributions of our local members, the Vidalia Kiwanis Club established this scholarship for a child or grandchild of active or long-time club members in good standing.

5. R.E. Ledford Scholarship – The Vidalia Kiwanis Club, in order to honor one of its distinguished former presidents, established this scholarship in the name of Roscoe E. Ledford. 6. Cliff Poe Scholarship – In order to recognize and honor, during his life, its only living charter member still a member of the club, the Vidalia Kiwanis Club renamed the Kiwanis Club Scholarship as the Cliff A. Poe Kiwanis Club Scholarship. In September of 1990, the board of directors approved awarding an additional Cliff A. Poe scholarship each year.

7. Dr. Larry Smith Scholarship – This scholarship was established in the name of Dr. Larry Smith in order to provide a means for the community to honor one of its distinguished citizens and a Kiwanian who died an untimely death. (University of Georgia) 8. J.R. Trippe Scholarship – This scholarship was established in 1981 by a community-wide committee, which chose to honor the memory of a former Superintendent of the Vidalia City School System by creating a scholarship. The Vidalia Kiwanis Club was asked to be the administrator of the fund which has provided a scholarship every year since 1982 in honor of Kiwanian J.R. Trippe. 9. Dorothy L. Warthen – In January of 2008, the family of Dorothy Warthen began this scholarship in her honor. Mrs. Warthen faithfully served the community as a teacher in the Vidalia City School System for twenty-two years. The Vidalia Kiwanis Club was asked to administer the scholarship. Applications for the 2021-2022 school year will be provided to the school guidance offices in November of this year. Please see your school’s advisors to apply.