LaSalle Educational Club to honor community members, award student scholarships

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The LaSalle Educational Club, Inc. will be honoring, from left, Rev. Joyce Scott with the humanitarian award, David Slepian of Community Medical Pharmacy with the community service award and Sylvia Bailey, a LaSalle Prep teacher with the teachers’ award. Not shown is David Blackburn of Niagara University who will be honored with the education award. Also, 18 scholarships will be awarded during a banquet at Antonio’s Banquet and Conference Center on June 10. (James Neiss/Photo)

June 2, 2011

By Michele Deluca Niagara Gazette The Niagara Gazette Thu Jun 02, 2011, 10:02 PM EDT

NIAGARA FALLS — One day while Gloria Dolson waited at the pharmacy of a local drugstore, she observed the pharmacist greeting each customer by name. Every time she returned, the pharmacist behaved the same way.

“David Slepian is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met,” she said. “After many times seeing the same thing, I was thinking, this man really loves people and he has been a blessing to so many people in this community.”

More than most people, Dolson has the ability to provide recognition to those who serve others. At her suggestion, the pharmacist will receive one of four community awards given to people who go above and beyond the call of duty.

The awards will be presented by the LaSalle Educational Club, Inc., during a dinner June 10 at Antonio’s Banquet and Conference Center, 7708 Niagara Falls Blvd. The organization was started in 1957 by Dolson’s mother, Lexie M. Sanders and each year has recognized local school children and community leaders. Since then, more than $84,000 in scholarships have been given to over 1,200 area students.

Dolson, who has been working for the Educational Club for “what feels like my whole life,” said the small organization was created by her mother as the “Ever-Ready Mothers Club.”

Sanders and her family were living in Griffin Manor and the club raised money by holding raffles and chicken dinners. The money allowed them to provide gifts for children at Christmas and to hold Easter egg hunts in spring.

“In 1959 we started the scholarship program,” Sanders recalled. “We started by giving the kids three dollars for graduation and we would have a dinner for them. We invited all the graduates and parents.”

From such humble beginnings the annual event has grown to an anticipated audience of 200 for the upcoming dinner. Scholarships go as high as $1,000, said the 81-year-old founder, who still writes out the 300 invitations by hand.

Among the four community award winners are:

• Community Service: David Slepian, owner of the Community Medical Pharmacy, 918 Michigan Ave.

• Teacher’s Award: Sylvia Bailey, a special education teacher at LaSalle Prep who Dolson said, “just goes out of her way to make sure children receive what they need to be successful.”

• Humanitarian Award: Rev. Joyce A. Scott, assistant pastor at Word of Life Ministries who, Dolson said, “reaches out to others in the community, especially widows and the elderly.”

• Education Award: David Blackburn, director of the Multicultural and International Student Affairs Office at Niagara University who helped Dolson create a local “Bring a Child to Work Day,” which started with four students who spent a day at Niagara University and which most recently included 28 students.

The dinner will also honor 18 high school seniors who will receive a range of scholarships from the club.

The students were picked by a panel of judges that included Dr. Robin Erwin of Buffalo; Niagara Falls Councilmen Sam Fruscione and Charles Walker; Mary Johnson, a community volunteer and Rev. Joyce Scott.

Scholarship winners include: Quimeka N. Saunders, Matthew Laurrie, Tyler J. Laurel, Charmaine Merchant, Lani Ward, Dalton Lampkin, Munir J. Frank; Rachel S. Birke; Talorica Gamble; Nicholas D. D’Angelo; Ameliah Martinez-Tiberi; Elena DiLaura; Lacey Chatterton; Brittany Barnes; Dana Dorato; Chiara M. Milton; Shalandra Wallis and Chamari Russell.

Elementary school children will participate in the program, introducing dignitaries. Kendra Eaglin, anchor for Channel 7’s Eyewitness News, will host the event. For more information contact Lexie Sanders at 285-2965.

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