Dan Burnham, center, presented a check for $100,000 to the Englewood Rotary Foundation and its scholarship program. Josh Staller is president of the foundation board, and Dawn Shepherd is an avid member of the scholarship committee, as well as a former executive director of the Littleton Housing Authority. The $100,000 came from a Housing Authority scholarship effort that has been inactive in recent years.
It's not every day that someone hands you a $100,000 check. Englewood Rotary had that kind of exceptional day recently.
The gift will enable Englewood Rotary to offer more scholarships to graduating students of Englewood High School and Colorado’s Finest High School of Choice.
The $100,000 gift came from a scholarship program previously run by the Littleton Housing Authority. The agency, now operating with the name South Metro Housing Options, is currently redeveloping its housing portfolio for families with children, who were the original beneficiaries of the scholarship fund.
Englewood Rotary is uniquely equipped to award and administer scholarships. The club, through its foundation, has been awarding and administering scholarships since the 1970s. This year the club gave seven scholarships totaling $24,500.
Dan Burnham, former executive director of the housing authority and board chair of the Littleton scholarship program, presented the check at a recent club meeting.
"Englewood Rotary is honored to accept this bequest, and we are committed to preserving the memory of the Beau DeVane Veyette scholarship," said Josh Staller, president of the Englewood Rotary Foundation.
Beau Veyette was the son of former housing authority employee Jean Veyette Simmons. Tragically, Beau died at 14. Upon his death, friends and family gave contributions in his name. Simmons, who died in 2022, also designated a gift to the scholarship fund in her will.
Rotarian Dawn Shepherd was executive director of the housing authority when Beau died. At the club meeting she shared Beau’s story. “The last time I saw Beau he was selling me a poinsettia.” It was a fundraising effort to help his music group travel for a performance. "He couldn’t afford to go himself, but he was selling lots of poinsettias to benefit others. That was Beau,” Shepherd said.
And then one day she got a call from Beau’s mother. “I can’t come into work today. Beau has died.” Shepherd and Burnham went to her side.
Later, they created the scholarship program to honor his life. And then this year they worked together to give the funds to Englewood Rotary and its scholarship program.
Shepherd said, “The story of Beau’s death is heart-breaking, but the story of how a fund created in his name will continue to help other young people is heart-warming.”
Burnham said to the club, “Your values are in line with our values.” It’s a good fit.
There was applause.