Rotary Club of Fort Myers South to Honor 36 Nominees at the 29th Annual Scholar-Athlete Awards

Fort Myers, FL, March 12, 2015 --(PR.com)-- Rotary Club of Fort Myers South will honor 36 nominees and announce the scholarship recipients and other award winners at its Scholar-Athlete Awards banquet from 7 to 9 p.m. May 6, 2015 at the Crowne Plaza in Fort Myers. The scholarship program recognizes top athletes from area high schools based on athletic and academic achievement, along with strength of character.

Joe Dooley will deliver the keynote address. Dooley is in his second season as Head Coach of the Florida Gulf Coast University men’s basketball team. In 2013-14 Dooley guided the Eagles to their first Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season championship and first trip to the NIT.

The Southwest Florida Rheem Team will underwrite two $5,000 scholarships as the program’s Title Scholarship Sponsor. In addition to sponsoring the scholarships, the Rheem Team hosts an online People’s Choice Scholar-Athlete Award, where the winner receives an iPad.

Eighteen Lee County-area high schools each nominated one top male and female varsity letter winner who maintains a minimum 3.2 GPA, is involved in school and community activities and demonstrates leadership characteristics. A selection committee of Rotary South members interviews nominees and selects the winners.

The 36 nominees are: Kinzie Frey and Thaddeus Ward from Bishop Verot Catholic High School, Darby Pfeifer and Zeb Burton III from Canterbury School, McKenna Beach and Joseph Mesaros from Cape Coral High School, Nyree Mahone and Corey Kerkesner from Cypress Lake High School, Kiara Desamours and Christopher Sutherland from Dunbar High School, Liz Lorenzo and Marlon Reyes from East Lee County High School, Madison Cernohous and Ryne Hensley from Estero High School, Sarah Candiano and Carson Pearlman from Evangelical Christian School, Mallory Towe and James Brunson from Fort Myers High School, Carla Mateo and Jacob Yaeger from Gateway Charter School, Lacie Ellithorpe and Zach Yankovich from Ida S. Baker High School, Nicole Ellis and Matthieu Jeannelas from Island Coast High School, Emily Collier and John Haugabook, Jr. from Lehigh Senior High School, Holly Fritz and Rodney Hunter IV from Mariner High School, Lindsay Stramel and Jacob Duff from North Fort Myers High School, Abigail Mast and Kevin McIltrot from Riverdale High School, Mallory Berner and Jacob Ashby from South Fort Myers High School, and Nicole Nicely and Terrance DeAvila from Southwest Florida Christian Academy.

For more information about the 29th Annual Rotary Club of Fort Myers South’s Scholar-Athlete Awards, contact Rob Scharlau at (239) 810-2554 orrob.scharlau@busey.com.

Rotary Club of Fort Myers South
Rotary Club of Fort Myers South has more than 130 members who are among the 1.3 million Rotarians worldwide. Service Above Self is the motto of Rotary International, which has contributed more than $1.2 billion and tens of thousands of volunteer hours toward polio eradication in addition to projects such as water quality, world peace and literacy. Meetings are held each Monday at 12:00 PM at the Crowne Plaza, 13051 Bell Tower Drive. For more information, visit www.rotarysouth.org.