Every year The Valley Patriot celebrates our anniversary with a Charity BASH Scholarship and Award night. This year, the Valley Patriot celebrates our 21st Anniversary at the Lawrence Elks Club on Friday, March 28th at 6pm.
You can get tickets by contacting The Valley Patriot (valleypatriot@aol.com) 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.
Three years ago the newspaper raised more than $34,000 in scholarship money. Two years ago the scholarship drive brought in $54,000, and last year we raised $58,100!
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 21st ANNIVERSARY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND EACH RECIPIENT
Gr. Lawrence Tech. Scholarship Recipient Thomas Kotas 
READ ABOUT THOMAS KOTAS
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).
PHIL GLENDYE MEMORIAL SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOLARSHIP
READ ABOUT ABBY MENDES
This is the fifth 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 or a student studying to be a special needs teacher.
Because we lost our corporate partner for our Methuen High School Scholarship, this year’s recipient was chosen from Methuen.
DAN STRANGE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP (HAVERHILL HIGH)
READ ABOUT CECELIA GEYER
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 Haverhill.
WHITTIER TECH. SCHOLARSHIP 
READ ABOUT NATALIE DELANO
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.
EUGENE SMITH – JOHN RATKA JrROTC LAWRENCE HIGH SCHOLARSHIP 
READ ABOUT JAYHRONNIE FERRAN
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.
DAN COADY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP 
READ ABOUT BRAILYN MCGUIRE
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.
EDMUND LO SCHOLARSHIP DRIVE
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
Valley Patriot Celebrates 21st Anniversary, Raising Scholarship Money for Local Students at Charity BASH! added by Tom Duggan on
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