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Club offers seven college scholarships

The Lakewood/Rocky River Rotary Foundation is offering seven grants for study at any accredited post-high school educational institution. Grants of $3,000 will be awarded toward the cost of one year’s tuition. Payments will be made to the institution for the recipient, with the understanding that the recipient will remain enrolled in the institution for the full year.

Students planning to apply should first review the General Information containing information how to complete the application, eligibility rules, basis of selection, and the procedure for submitting the application.

Applicants should then download the Application Form according to the General Information page instructions, before filling out the form and saving it for final submission.

All materials must be submitted no later than 12:00 p.m. Monday, April 13, 2026.

Rotary awards $84,004 in grants

Grants totaling $84,004 from the Lakewood-Rocky River Rotary Foundation will provide scholarships, encourage student achievement, fight hunger, and foster programs for community health and wellness.

The total is the largest amount in history, and the 24 grants to local community organizations totaling $61,236 was both the largest number and largest dollar amount of grants in history.

Each year, the Rotary Club of Lakewood and Rocky River requests grant applications from non-profit organizations that serve our youth, adults and community within Lakewood and Rocky River. Since its creation in 1952 by then-Club President Carl Dryer, the Foundation has enabled the club to provide over $1.25 million in student scholarships and grants, accomplished due to the generosity of the club’s philanthropic membership.

Rotary recognizes speech, music,
visual arts student achievement

Winners of Rotary’s Four-Way Speech Contest, and the annual music and visual arts competitions, were honored at a gala event at the Beck Center on April 14.

Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lakewood and Rocky River, the contest annually highlights the incredible talents of students attending one of five high schools – Lakewood, Lutheran West, Magnificat, Rocky River, and St. Edward.

Speech contest first place winner was Alessio Matera from Lakewood High School with a speech entitled, “Trump 2.0.” Avani Sabharwal from Magnificat High School earned second place with a speech entitled, “The Dangers of American Isolationism.” Both students represented the club at the Rotary district 6630 competition on April 12.

Placing third was Delaney Starr, “The Box,” and fourth was Mel Diemert, “Title Generated By AI.” Both are from Lakewood High School.

peeches must be of original content and be based on “The Four-Way Test of Rotary” which asks, “Is it the truth, Is it fair to all concerned, Will it build goodwill and better friendships, and Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”

Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood has been a valued partner of Rotary for this event, serving as the liaison to educators at the high schools and providing the venue and judges for various phases of the competitions.

This is the 80th year for the club’s speech competition, and the twenty-eighth year that the Beck Center has collaborated with the Rotary club for these student competitions.