By Evan Ruszczyk
The inaugural scholarship from the Bristol Lions Club/James J. Keating Scholarship Fund was recently awarded by the Main Street Community Foundation. Awarded to Plymouth resident Jeremey Evanoski, the scholarship is available to high school students who are legally blind or visually impaired. The Bristol Lions Club transferred the fund to the Main Street Community Foundation earlier this year.
The scholarship fund was established several years ago at the request of the estate of Mark M. Keating, in memory of his father James J. Keating. The scholarship is available to a graduating senior who is classified as legally blind or visually impaired under Connecticut General Statutes Section 10-294a. Normally intended for Bristol residents, the scholarship is made available to residents of Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott if there are no applicants from Bristol.
The scholarship is named after James J. Keating, who was born in 1890 and passed away in 1997, at the age of 107. James joined the Bristol Lions Club after becoming invested in eye health when his friend lost their eyesight. James went on to organize glaucoma and vision screening drives, set up vision screening machines in Bristol schools and led efforts to require vision testing for school children.
The Lions Club continues its commitment to eye health at every level of the organization. “Locally, our club focuses on pediatric sight screening, assisting the needy to secure eye examinations and prescription glasses, providing therapeutic assistance in conjunction with Bristol Hospital to residents suffering from diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration, supporting the state Lions efforts to fund eye research at both Yale and UConn medical laboratories as well as funding summer camp experiences for diabetic children, as diabetes is the #1 cause of blindness in our country.” said Everett Lyons, president of the Bristol Lions Club.
Jeremey Evanoski is the first to receive the scholarship, a $2,800 grant from the Bristol Lions Club/James J. Keating Scholarship Fund. Jeremey graduated from Terryville High School in 2022 and will be attending Central Connecticut State University to pursue computer science.
Anyone interested in making a contribution to the Bristol Lions Club/James J. Keating Scholarship Fund may do so online at mainstreetfoundation.org or by sending donations to Main Street Community Foundation, P.O. Box 2702, Bristol, CT 06010.
Applications for this scholarship and others administered by the Main Street Community Foundation are made available on Jan. 15 of every year and the application deadline is the middle of March. For more information and questions on applying, contact Samantha Rajotte, Scholarship & Program Officer, at Main Street Community Foundation, at 860.583.6363 or samantha@mainstreetfoundation.org.
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