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Indian River Seniors Joseph Martin, Alexa Solar Earn Inaugural Gabriel Otero & Lexie Morgan Memorial Scholarship Awards

June 16, 2020 By admin

     WATERTOWN — Indian River High School Seniors Joseph Martin and Alexa Solar were recently honored as the inaugural recipients of the Northern New York Community Foundation Gabriel Otero & Lexie Morgan Memorial Scholarship.

    The Gabriel Otero & Lexie Morgan Memorial Scholarship was established at the Community Foundation in March 2020 shortly after the two Indian River High School students passed away following a motor vehicle accident in January.

    Gabriel Otero was a junior at Indian River while Lexie Morgan was a senior and the two had a close-knit relationship and were active in several school activities. The scholarship honors their legacies of service to others and commitments to seeking higher education.

    Gabriel was a gifted musician who started playing the clarinet, then the saxophone, and then he taught himself how to play the guitar and was teaching himself piano. He was active in the school’s marching band. Gabriel was planning to follow in his mother’s footsteps to become an IT specialist.

    Lexie was a varsity cheerleader and student leader with Indian River Pop Warner Cheer. She was also enrolled in the medical assistant program at Jeff-Lewis BOCES in Watertown and aspired to become an OB/GYN doctor.

    Otero-Morgan Scholars are Indian River seniors who have been involved in band and cheerleading and plan to continue their education.

    “We join the Otero and Morgan families in our commitment to remember these two young lives in such a powerful and meaningful way,” said Rande Richardson, Community Foundation executive director. “Especially this first year, but in a lasting way, this scholarship reminds others of how love endures and can have a ripple effect that is beyond understanding.”

From left: Maria Otero; Joseph “Joey” Martin, Indian River Class of 2020 graduate and inaugural Gabriel Otero & Lexie Morgan Scholarship recipient; and Jessica Morgan. Joey is the 2020 Gabriel Otero Award honoree.

    Joseph “Joey” Martin is the recipient of the Gabriel Otero Award and was a member of several music ensembles, including band and chorus. Outside the classroom, he was captain of the varsity football team and a member of the varsity lacrosse team.

    Since primary school, he has been an active participant in the Indian River Community Youth Organization, which supports several community causes and civic agencies. Joey will attend the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, where he plans to complete a bachelor’s and master’s degree in vocal music and music education and become a high school choral teacher. He is the son of Katherine and Steven Martin, Philadelphia.

From left: Maria Otero; Alexa Solar, Indian River Class of 2020 graduate and inaugural Gabriel Otero & Lexie Morgan Scholarship recipient; and Jessica Morgan. Alexa is the 2020 Lexie Morgan Award honoree.

    Alexa Solar is the recipient of the Lexie Morgan Award and was a three-year member of the varsity cheerleading team, serving as captain in her senior year. She has participated in cheer for more than 10 years, through which she has participated in community service and civic activities.

    Alexa will attend SUNY Jefferson to study nursing. She plans to continue her education at SUNY Potsdam to become a Registered Nurse Anesthetist. She is the daughter of Tammi Dindl and William Solar II and stepmother Beth Solar.

   Maria Otero, Gabriel’s mother, presented Joey with the award, which includes a $500 scholarship, and Jessica Morgan, Lexie’s mother, presented Alexa with the award, which also includes a $500 scholarship. To join in helping to perpetuate the legacies of Gabriel Otero and Lexie Morgan, make gifts to the Northern New York Community Foundation, 131 Washington St., Watertown NY 13601, or online at www.nnycf.org.

About the Northern New York Community Foundation

    Since 1929, the Northern New York Community Foundation has invested in improving and enriching the quality of life for all in communities across Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

    Through partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and generous families and individual donors, the Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships from an endowment and collection of funds that benefit the region. Its commitment to donors helps individuals achieve their charitable objectives now and for generations to come by preserving and honoring legacies of community philanthropy while inspiring others.

    The Community Foundation is a resource for local charitable organizations, donors, professional advisors and nonprofit organizations. It also works to bring people together at its permanent home in the Northern New York Philanthropy Center to discuss challenges our communities face and find creative solutions that strengthen the region and make it a great place to live, work, and play.

Filed Under: Recent News

Northern New York Community Foundation

131 Washington Street
Watertown, NY 13601

Phone: 315-782-7110
Fax: 315-782-0047

info@nnycf.org

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Northern New York Community Foundation

9 hours ago

Northern New York Community Foundation

Meet Toryann McKinney, a Watertown City School District eighth grader at Case Middle School and 2020-2021 Youth Giving Challenge winner. A community, according to Toryann, values its people most and “needs to be healthy in every way.”

As a Youth Giving Challenge winner, Toryann recently presented a grant to the North Country Family Health Center, Watertown, a nonprofit organization she chose because it embodies her definition of a healthy community. “They have a highly dedicated staff who treat newborns, kids, and adults and they are available to the whole community to help local people be healthy.”

“They are available to people in two counties with community and school-based sites that are easy to get to,” Toryann wrote. “The help they provide to pregnant women and new mothers with nutrition education and counseling is also very important.”

Last month, Toryann, joined by her mother, met with North Country Family Health Center Marketing & Community Relations Director April Fallon, and presented a $500 Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge grant that will support the Health Center’s Unmet Needs Program. Toryann’s thoughtful effort to help the Health Center will provide financial assistance to patients whose needs cannot be met through existing community resources.

The grant is supported by donors to the Friends of the Foundation Annual Community Betterment Fund, a partnership with Community Bank, N.A., and a generous gift from an anonymous donor.

Pictured, from left, Al Romano Jr., Washington Street branch manager, Community Bank, Watertown; Phyl McKinney, Toryann’s mother; Toryann McKinney, Case Middle School eighth grader and Youth Giving Challenge winner; and April Fallon, North Country Family Health Center marketing & community relations director.

Toryann is one of dozens of thoughtful youths who looked inside her community to recognize an organization that strives to improve quality of life for all in the region. The 2020-2021 Giving Challenge asked students from Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties to explain in an essay what community means to them and to choose a nonprofit that embodies their definition of community. Toryann’s essay is one of 20 chosen from 144 submissions.

Look for more photos and stories behind the 2019-2020 Youth Giving Challenge gifts in the coming weeks.

#ThoughtfulGivingNNYCF #YouthGivingChallenge #CommunitySpirit
... See MoreSee Less

Meet Toryann McKinney, a Watertown City School District eighth grader at Case Middle School and 2020-2021 Youth Giving Challenge winner. A community, according to Toryann, values its people most and “needs to be healthy in every way.”

As a Youth Giving Challenge winner, Toryann recently presented a grant to the North Country Family Health Center, Watertown, a nonprofit organization she chose because it embodies her definition of a healthy community. “They have a highly dedicated staff who treat newborns, kids, and adults and they are available to the whole community to help local people be healthy.”

“They are available to people in two counties with community and school-based sites that are easy to get to,” Toryann wrote. “The help they provide to pregnant women and new mothers with nutrition education and counseling is also very important.”

Last month, Toryann, joined by her mother, met with North Country Family Health Center Marketing & Community Relations Director April Fallon, and presented a $500 Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge grant that will support the Health Center’s Unmet Needs Program. Toryann’s thoughtful effort to help the Health Center will provide financial assistance to patients whose needs cannot be met through existing community resources. 

The grant is supported by donors to the Friends of the Foundation Annual Community Betterment Fund, a partnership with Community Bank, N.A., and a generous gift from an anonymous donor. 

Pictured, from left, Al Romano Jr., Washington Street branch manager, Community Bank, Watertown; Phyl McKinney, Toryann’s mother; Toryann McKinney, Case Middle School eighth grader and Youth Giving Challenge winner; and April Fallon, North Country Family Health Center marketing & community relations director. 

Toryann is one of dozens of thoughtful youths who looked inside her community to recognize an organization that strives to improve quality of life for all in the region. The 2020-2021 Giving Challenge asked students from Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties to explain in an essay what community means to them and to choose a nonprofit that embodies their definition of community. Toryann’s essay is one of 20 chosen from 144 submissions.

Look for more photos and stories behind the 2019-2020 Youth Giving Challenge gifts in the coming weeks.

#ThoughtfulGivingNNYCF #YouthGivingChallenge #CommunitySpirit
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Northern New York Community Foundation

3 days ago

Northern New York Community Foundation

For Russ and Mary Wilcox, growing up in the North Country came with a deep appreciation for community and helping others. Today, the couple is experiencing joy in ways they didn't think possible during their lifetimes. The Wilcox Family Fund at the Northern New York Community Foundation is making a difference today and forever. #NNYCF #legacy ... See MoreSee Less

For Russ and Mary Wilcox, growing up in the North Country came with a deep appreciation for community and helping others. Today, the couple is experiencing joy in ways they didnt think possible during their lifetimes. The Wilcox Family Fund at the Northern New York Community Foundation is making a difference today and forever. #NNYCF #Legacy
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Northern New York Community Foundation

4 days ago

Northern New York Community Foundation

We are excited to support this endeavor that encourages the youngest among us while also supporting elementary classrooms and education across the North Country! Thank you to our friends at NBC Watertown for the opportunity to partner on such a meaningful project.

#classroomkindnesschallenge #NNYCFAre you up for the Challenge?!

Join Sundance Leisure, Buffalo Wild Wings, Pivot 2 Health, and Northern New York Community Foundation spread a little kindness this Spring!

Every week we will be selecting at random one classroom in the North Country from grades K-5 that has completed the challenge to win a Do-Nut Be A Bully Party over the next 5 weeks! At the conclusion of the 5 weeks we will randomly select 5 classrooms to win the grand prize!!

To find the challenge board and submit your classroom click the link below!
nbcwatertown.secondstreetapp.com/The-Classroom-Kindness-Challenge---Spring-2021/rounds/1/gallery/
... See MoreSee Less

We are excited to support this endeavor that encourages the youngest among us while also supporting elementary classrooms and education across the North Country! Thank you to our friends at NBC Watertown for the opportunity to partner on such a meaningful project.
 
#ClassroomKindnessChallenge #NNYCF
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