Ellwood City Wolves Club Awards $15,000 In Scholarships To Local Students

At their annual scholarship dinner on June 9, 2021, at the Wolves Club Shelter, the Wolves Club Den II members, gathered to celebrate the awarding of $14,985 in scholarships to a total of four Lincoln and Riverside seniors and 2 college students to help fund their higher education.

“Education is the passport to the future for our young people and reveals all the promises that the future may hold for them,” said Wolves Club president, Mike DeOtto. “We are honored to support them financially as they move into a new and exciting period of their lives.”

Scholarship committee chairman Jaret Gibbons was the master of ceremonies for the evening and gave an overview of the scholarship committee’s goals and commitment for this year’s scholarships awards.

Two $5,000 scholarships were awarded: one to Lincoln High School senior Molly McCommons and one to Riverside High School senior Cheyenne Ault. Molly McCommons, is the daughter of Kathy McCommons of Ellwood City. Molly plans to attend Grove City College and major in Math.

Cheyenne Ault is the daughter of Sheri Ault of Beaver Falls. Cheyenne plans to attend Geneva College and major in Business. Two $1,750 scholarships were awarded; one in memory of Joseph Santoro who was the third over-all Wolves Club scholarship recipient back in 1955, and one in memory of Marlon Barsotti who was the son of Frank Barsotti, one of the Wolves Club founders. The recipients of the $1,750 awards were Haylee Anderson, a Riverside high school senior and Lincoln high school senior, Makenna Hall.

Haylee Anderson is the daughter of Charity Beegle of Beaver Falls. Haylee will attend the University of Pittsburgh and declared a major in Biology. Makenna Hall is the daughter of Tahni Hall of Ellwood City. She will attend Robert Morris University and major in Environmental Science/Sustainability. A scholarship was awarded in the amount of $700 to Amelia Bailey who is attending CCBC and is majoring in Nursing. Amelia is the daughter of Stephanie Bailey of Ellwood City.

A $785 scholarship was also awarded to Andrew Palmer who is attending the Butler County Community College and is majoring in General Studies. Andrew is the son of of Doug and Erin Palmer of Ellwood City.

Pittsburgh Foundation’s Mahogany Thaxton remarks focused on the foundation’s role in scholarships as well as evaluating and addressing community issues while always working on behalf of the common good. Teacher and school counselor April Thellman presented the awards to the Lincoln high school seniors; Riverside HS counselor-Ben Huth, presented the awards to the Riverside high school seniors, Development Associate and Assistant to the President of CCBC, Leanne Condron presented the CCBC award.

The scholarship awardees were invited to offer a few remarks. All focused on gratitude for the generous support of the Wolves Club scholarships enabling them to further pursue their educational goals.

For their contributions to the scholarship and grant program, a special note of appreciation was expressed, on behalf of the Wolves Club, by master of ceremonies Jaret Gibbons, to Dennis Gottuso, and to the Barsotti Family and the Petti Family.

Members of the club’s scholarship committee are chairman-Jaret Gibbons, Nick Mancini, John DiBuono, Chris Cioffi, Hank Glogowski and coordinator, Herman Petti Jr. Reverend Todd Custer, Pastor Christ Presbyterian Church, gave the invocation and benediction.

Pictured above, left to right: Pittsburgh Foundation-Mahogany Thaxton, CCBC-Leanne Condron, scholarship chairman-Jared Gibbons, scholarship recipients-Molly McCommons, Makena Hall, Cheyenne Ault, Amelia Bailey, Riverside HS counselor-Ben Huth, Wolves Club president-Mike DeOtto, not pictured above: scholarship recipients-Haylee Anderson and Andrew Palmer.