LIBERTY TOWNSHIP — The keynote speaker for the 18th annual Outstanding Women of Clinton County banquet told about a woman who died at a very young age, but who realized she could take that adversity and help others.
Betsy Ross, a TV sportscaster with strong Tri-State ties, said she met Lauren Hill, a basketball player at Mount St. Joseph University in suburban Cincinnati who in spring 2015 died of an inoperable brain tumor as a 19-year-old freshman.
Hill was still a student at Lawrenceburg (Indiana) High School when doctors found the tumor.
“The story is Lauren Hill had the vision to know that she had a platform,” said Ross.
It was “a unique platform” upon which Hill, out of all she was going through, could nevertheless do good, the sports journalist remarked.
Hill partnered with a Woodlawn, Ohio cancer research charity “The Cure Starts Now” whose founders lost their daughter to an inoperable brain tumor. Hill became a fundraiser and an ambassador to The Cure Starts Now.
“Layup4Lauren” became a popular challenge activity to raise funds, and more than $2.2 million in donations have been collected in honor of Hill, according to the charity’s website.
Hill caught the attention of much of the nation, said Ross.
“She was 18 years old but she knew that through adversity she could help others. And maybe just maybe that the money she raised was going to some day, down the line, cure some other kid,” Ross said.
Noting that Hall’s passing is nearing its two-year anniversary, Ross observed that Hill “continues to make a difference.”
The Outstanding Women of Clinton County Class of 2017 is comprised of Minnie Farren (posthumous honoree), Dr. Janet Gick, Jennifer Hollon, Ethel Marie Medley, Sandra Mongold, Cheryl Roberts, Beverly Sanders and Christine Hadley Snyder. A series of news articles detailing their contributions recently was published in the News Journal, which is the presenter of the annual recognition.
The award recipients gave brief remarks after being honored Saturday on a Roberts Convention Centre stage. Below are some highlights of their comments.
Gick said volunteerism and community service involve a mindset, adding, “It’s seeing a need and the opportunity that is everywhere.”
Over the years, outstanding women have found their own individual way to contribute by creating their niche with their particular talents and interests, said Gick.
Hollon said her father, Dr. Richard Bath who was a local physician, is the person “who taught me an appreciation for history, and our responsibility to do what we can to preserve it.”
Medley mentioned she grew up in a family where she had 11 siblings. There were chuckles when she explained she “had to share.”
Mongold said, “I just love being involved in the community. I love being with people. I love doing things. I love making a difference.”
Roberts referred to the people she works with in education as wonderful and supportive. She considers herself very lucky to have a job she loves.
Sanders said she’s attended 14 of the 18 annual Outstanding Women of Clinton County celebrations, and finds it amazing “all the wonderful things they [honorees] have done in different directions and areas.”
Snyder said she is grateful for the public education she received at the former Adams Township School in Clinton County. She described it as a very small school, “where we had good teachers, good textbooks, music, art, phys ed, home ec, shop and recess.”
She added she reared her three sons to be citizens of the world, and she also spoke of “our beloved Clinton County community.”
The Outstanding Women of Clinton County 2017 Scholarship recipients are Avary Beatty, Bethany Brausch, Bridgette Thompson and Brooke Honaker.
In addition to the News Journal, other organizational sponsors of Outstanding Women of Clinton County are CMH Regional Health System, Abbott Image Solutions, Wilmington Savings Bank, Wilmington College, and Peoples Bank.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.
