Bryn Mawr, Gladwyne 1st Responders Earn Scholarships

BRYN MAWR-GLADWYNE, PA — First responders with the Bryn Mawr and Gladwyne fire companies were awarded scholarships by the Main Line Chamber Foundation recently.

The Main Line Chamber Foundation awarded $50,000 in scholarships to 32 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians during its annual Celebration of Hometown Heroes at the Lower Merion Township Building in Ardmore on June 7.

Scholarship recipients came from firehouses and ambulance services from Chester, Montgomery and Delaware counties, and were selected for their exemplary service to the community.

Gladwyne Fire Company's James Philip Heller, of Gladwyne, and Bryn Mawr Fire Company's Matthew Becket, of Bryn Mawr, were among those awarded scholarships.

With these latest awards, the Main Line Chamber Foundation has awarded nearly $700,000 in scholarships to local volunteer emergency responders, the vast majority of whom attend local colleges and universities.

The Celebration of Hometown Heroes was created to draw attention to and show appreciation for the volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians who selflessly serve the Main Line and surrounding areas.

Weena Doyle from Narberth Ambulance, Matthew Hand from the Brookline Fire Company and Preston Tyrrell from the Newtown Square Fire Company won $5,000 Thomas J. Hays Memorial Scholarships, which are presented in honor of a young firefighter with the Merion Fire Company who died in the hours following going out on a call.

The event marked the third presentation of the WSFS Cares Foundation Leaders of Tomorrow Award, which recognizes an individual who exhibits leadership qualities within the volunteer firefighter/EMT community. The recipient of this $5,000 scholarship was Lindsay Baker from the Llanerch Fire Company.

"We are so thankful for our volunteer emergency responders, who are often the first to arrive during a crisis," Maureen McAleer, chair of The Main Line Chamber Foundation Board of Directors, said. "Everyone at the Main Line Chamber Foundation is honored to celebrate their service and distribute scholarship awards that will enable these deserving recipients to pursue their academic goals."

Below are 2024 scholarship recipients:

• Lindsay Baker, Llanerch Fire Company, Havertown
• Matthew Becket, Bryn Mawr Fire Company, Bryn Mawr
• Sean Boyer, Brookline Fire Company, Havertown
• Elizabeth Brown, Radnor Fire Company, Wayne
• Margaret Mary Cooper, Upper Darby Fire Company, Upper Darby
• Brooke Cutler, Berwyn Fire Company, Berwyn
• Katie Denney, Aston Township Fire Department, Aston
• Levi Dentel, Paoli Fire Company, Paoli
• Matthew Gabriel Dobbins, Broomall Fire Company, Broomall
• Weena Doyle, Narberth Ambulance, Ardmore
• Matthew Hand, Brookline Fire Company, Havertown
• Sophia Hartley, Good Will Fire Company, West Chester
• James Philip Heller, Gladwyne Fire Company, Gladwyne
• Madison Jones, West Whiteland Fire Company, Exton
• Chandeep Kaur, Llanerch Fire Company, Havertown
• Kenneth M. Keagy, Merion Fire Company of Ardmore, Ardmore
• Michaela Kent, Bon Air Fire Company, Havertown
• Olivia Klara, Good Will Fire Company, West Chester
• Megan Kozar, Narberth Ambulance, Ardmore
• Tiffany Lan, Narberth Ambulance, Ardmore
• Jordan Lichy, Berwyn Fire Company, Berwyn
• David Marein-Efron, Narberth Ambulance, Ardmore
• Ryan Marsh, Merion Fire Company of Ardmore, Ardmore
• Alexis M. McElhone, Bon Air Fire Company, Havertown
• Kevin Mitchell, Jr., Bon Air Fire Company, Havertown
• Jack Francis Nudy, Berwyn Fire Company, Berwyn
• Andrew Payne, Manoa Fire Company, Havertown
• Marcie Romberger, Berwyn Fire Company, Berwyn
• Ethan Tartaglio, Berwyn Fire Company, Berwyn
• Preston A. Tyrrell, Newtown Square Fire Company, Newtown Square
• Luke Willette, Narberth Ambulance, Ardmore
• Noelle Zeller, Narberth Ambulance, Ardmore

A majority of the scholarships are presented by members of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, who are themselves volunteers. Foundation Board members represent a variety of businesses that are members of The Main Line Chamber of Commerce, which houses and staffs the Foundation.

"The Hometown Heroes event shines a light on the contributions of all our volunteer emergency responders. Through these scholarships, the business community and residents come together to honor and thank men and women who show up to help their fellow human beings in times of need," Bernard Dagenais, President and CEO of the Main Line Chamber of Commerce, said. “"e are proud to support these dedicated individuals."

The primary source of scholarship funds is the Annual Main Line Run/Walk, a 5-kilometer run and a popular 1.5-mile walk, which opens up the event to non-runners and family participation.

The 2024 Main Line Run/Walk, presented by the Haverford Trust Company, will be held on Sunday, Sept. 8. Registration for the event is open online here.

Sponsorships for the Run/Walk and donations to The Main Line Chamber Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, are welcome and are now being accepted.