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| Wednesday, June 21
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City scholarship honours dying activist |
Winnipeg's mayor has announced a scholarship program in the name of a respected inner-city activist. Mayor Sam Katz says the city will honour the work of Rev. Harry Lehotsky by giving $5,000 each year to students who show a commitment to the West End community where Lehotsky has focused much of his social work. Preference will be given to candidates between 18 and 30 years old who participate in their neighbourhood through volunteer work or community leadership. Lehotsky was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer in May. Doctors told him he may not have long to live. Lehotsky was at the ceremony to announce the scholarship program Tuesday afternoon. He said he hopes it will ensure his work continues. "The goal…is to look at some of the youth that are looking at not getting their education and then bailing from the neighbourhood, just taking off. These are some of the kids who want to learn and then stay in the neighbourhood, stick around, and then give back to the neighbourhood that's given to them," Lehotsky said. The awards will be granted by a committee that will include a member of city council and representatives from New Life Ministries, the religious organization Lehotsky heads. Katz said Lehotsky has earned the praise and admiration of Winnipeggers for his brave, determined, hands-on commitment to urban renewal. The scholarship program will ensure the torch is passed to the next generation, he said. The mayor said it could take a year or two to get the scholarship program up and running. A steady stream of honours followed the news of Lehotsky's illness. In late May, the provincial government announced it was creating the Rev. Harry Lehotsky award for community activism, which will go to individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to crime prevention in Manitoba. The West End Business Improvement Zone also announced it would sponsor a mural of Lehotsky in the neighbourhood, which is known for its murals of local heros.
source: www.cbc.ca
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posted by ^%&^
@ 7:43 AM
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