Sue Kiesewetter reports
Kim Nuxhall challenged the 26 recipients of the Joe Nuxhall Memorial Scholarship to use their talents to benefit others.
“You don’t have to be a celebrity…a sports hero to make a difference in your community. You can be very smart, very intelligent, but what are you going to do with it?” Nuxhall said. “My challenge to you is … what kind of impact are you going to have on society? I hope you’ll take this scholarship and use it as an inspiration.”
His words on inspiration came during a recent luncheon in honor of the teenagers selected by their schools for the award, in memory of the late Cincinnati Reds broadcaster and player Joe Nuxhall.
Joe Nuxhall started the program 23 years ago with the assistance of the Dickerson Distributing Company. His only regret, his son Kim said, was not getting his college degree.
“Not having that in his life, he wanted to provide it for others,” Kim Nuxhall said. “He wanted to help kids that didn’t have the same privilege he had.”
Since the program began, more than $650,000 has been given to student athletes at 14 Butler County high schools. Each school is given $2,000 and decides whether to split the money between two student athletes or give it to one.
Criteria are based on need, extracurricular activities, community service, leadership, academics and participation in athletics. The scholarships are funded through the annual Joe Nuxhall Memorial Golf Open, which pairs amateurs with professional athletes and local celebrities.
Receiving the Joe Nuxhall Memorial Scholarship from the Lakota school district was Ainsley Ellison and Blake Wilder, both of Lakota East, and Rachel Huxhold and Stephen Zenobia, of Lakota West.
Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |
