2024
Every year The Valley Patriot celebrates our anniversary with an annual Charity BASH Scholarship and Award night. This year, the Valley Patriot celebrates our 20th Anniversary at the Firefighters Relief’s In, (1 Market St. in Lawrence) on Friday, March 22nd at 7pm.
You can get tickets by contacting The Valley Patriot or by
Clicking HERE.
As part of The Valley Patriot’s Annual BASH, awards are given out honoring police officers, firefighters, and veteran who have been underappreciated in the community. The Valley Patriot also raises scholarship money for local students going to college in the fall.
Each Valley Patriot scholarship was established by someone in the community for a specific school, and/or for a student going into a certain field of study. Funds are raised though the newspaper, social media, and an email campaign.
Two years ago the newspaper raised more than $34,000 in scholarship money. Last year the scholarship drive brought in $54,000. Every penny donated for scholarships goes directly to the students or the college they are attending. We are able to do this because local businesses sponsor the annual event to cover costs of the event and scholarship drive
HERE IS THE 20th ANNIVERSARY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND EACH RECIPIENT
GR. LAWRENCE TECH SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
This scholarship was started ten years ago by Methuen City Councilor Jessica Finocchiaro who was on the Gr. Lawrence Tech School Committee at the time. This is the second school to ever receive a scholarship at a Valley Patriot BASH. Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan is an alum of the tech school (Freshman and Sophomore year).
This year Jessica Finocchiaro chose Arianna Valerio.
Read about Arianna and donate to her Scholarship >>HERE
METHUEN HIGH – STUDIO 21 PODCAST CAFE
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
This scholarship was established five years ago by Dave Garofalo, owner of Two Guys Smoke Shop and the Studio 21 Podcast Café in Salem, NH.
Dave donated $2,100 to start a scholarship for a high school senior going into media or communications in the fall. Since we did not have a scholarship for a Methuen High student on our BASH scholarship program at the time, Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan asked Dave to gave us permission to designate this scholarship for a Methuen High student.
This scholarship recipient is normally vetted and chosen by former Methuen School Committee Member Jana DiNatale. This year, however our recipient was chosen due to the efforts of School Committeeman Ryan DiZoglio and Martha Reusch Tatro of the Methuen Public Schools.
Read about Calysa and donate to her scholarship >> HERE
PHIL GLENDYE MEMORIAL SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOLARSHIP
SURPRISE!
This is the third year we are honoring former Lawrence High School Teacher Phil Glendye who ran the Special Olympics at the Lawrence Veterans Memorial Stadium every year and loved working with special needs students.
This scholarship goes to a special needs student either going to college, a trade school, or some form of higher education.
Lawrence High’s Timmy Finn normally chooses this scholarship recipient each year, however this year the recipient was chosen by Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan.
The winner of this scholarship will be surprised in the room the evening of March 22nd at the Valley Patriot’s 2oth Anniversary BASH at the Firefighter’s Relief in, 1 Market St. in Lawrence.
EUGENE SMITH/JOHN RATKA MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Originally this was a scholarship designated for a Lawrence High School senior. It was established in 2010 by Valley Patriot Publisher Tom Duggan in cooperation with the Lawrence High Alumni Association member Chris Eldredge.
In 2018 hero veteran Eugene Smith, (a Lawrence High alum), donated $1,000 to designate this scholarship for a member of the JrROTC at Lawrence High.
In 2019 our good friend and hero John Ratka passed away. He was the founder of Veterans Northeast Outreach in Haverhill and was a staple at The Valley Patriot BASH. That year his friends and family donated to this scholarship in John’s via the John Ratka Scholarship Fund and asked if his name be added to this scholarship so that future veterans would remember his sacrifice to veterans.
Read about Eillen and donate to her Scholarship >> HERE
WHITTIER TECH SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
This scholarship was started by Whittier Tech. alum Al Veilleux for a Whittier Tech senior going into college. This is our 5th year giving out the Whittier Tech Scholarship. Haverhill School Committeeman Scott Wood and officials at Whittier help in the selection of applicants chosen for this scholarship.
This years recipient is Kauren Urena
Read about Kaureb and donate to his Scholarship >>HERE
DAN STRANGE MEMORIAL
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
The Dan Strange Memorial Scholarship was established by Valley Patriot Publisher Tom Duggan in cooperation with Jerry Flynn of the New England Police Benevolent Association.
Dan Strange was not only an attendee at every Valley Patriot BASH, but was also a member of The Valley Patriot BASH Committee. His role on the committee was to choose police officers worthy of the Officer Tom Duggan Sr. Hero Police Officer Award.
Dan passed in August of 2020. Since then a scholarship has been given out in his name every year at the annual BASH.
The recipient of this scholarship are normally chosen by former Haverhill School Committeeman Scott Wood. However, this year’s recipient was chosen by Dee O’Neil of 411 Cares in cooperation with the Haverhill High School JrROTC commander.
This years’ scholarship recipient is Lizet Deferia.
Read about Lizet and donate to her Scholarship >>HERE
DAN COADY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
This year’s recipient is Brigid Gaffny of North Andover.
Four years ago, one of our readers, Al Veilleux donated $500 to start a scholarship in memory of Dan Coady Jr. who was killed in a tragic accident on Rt. 495 just a week before our annual BASH in 2018. Each year Al asks that we keep the Dan Coady Memorial Scholarship going for students who attended the Thomson Grammar School in North Andover where at least one of Dan Coady’s children attended at the time.
Read about Brigid and donate to her Scholarship >> HERE
Every year the Valley Patriot collects donations for the Edmund Lo Memorial Scholarship Fund in Salem N.H. The board of the Fund chooses recipients later in the school year. The Valley Patriot newspaper publishes the recipients before the end of each school year.
Last year’s Emund Lo Scholarship Drive
donate to this Scholarship >> HERE