Rotary Club to award $60,000 in scholarships Rotary Club to award $60,000 in scholarships (April 03, 2002)

Midpeninsula high school students who excel in academics and community service will receive $60,000 in scholarships at the Rotary Club of Menlo Park's 18th annual scholarship awards banquet on Saturday, April 13.

The banquet, which begins at 5:30 p.m., will be held at the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula's Clubhouse at 2031 Pulgas Ave. in East Palo Alto.

Before the scholarship winners are announced, principals and headmasters from Menlo-Atherton, Menlo School, Sacred Heart Prep and Woodside Priory high schools will present more than 50 academic awards to the tops scholars in their schools.

The public is invited to attend the banquet, which will feature entertainment by the Menlo School Choir. Tickets are $30 each and may be reserved by calling Alex Wilcox at 470-0140.

The Rotary scholarships include $10,000 awarded in memory of John D. Russell, a longtime Rotarian and mentor at Menlo College.

Five $6,000 scholarships will be awarded, including one in honor of Ormond and Doris Rector and another supported by the business and professional community of Menlo Park. The late Mr. Rector was a local grocer, a Menlo Park resident and a member of the Rotary Club of Menlo Park for 65 years.

A new award will be made this year in honor of longtime Rotarian and former Rotary District Governor Bob Paroli, an Atherton resident who made frequent contributions of time and energy to the local community.

And, for the first time this year, a student of the arts will receive a scholarship award made possible by Drue Kataoka and the Rotary Club of Menlo Park. Ms. Kataoka, who will speak at the banquet, is a sumi-e artist and flautist who grew up in the area and attended Sacred Heart Prep and Stanford University. She has donated proceeds from her Highway Hopscotch limited edition print to endow the new arts scholarship.

In addition, the club will award 10 merit scholarships, of $2,000 each, for academic excellence, leadership skills, and for living by the Rotary Club motto of "Service Above Self."
TO ATTEND

The public is invited to attend the Rotary Club's annual scholarship awards banquet. Tickets are $30 each and may be reserved by calling Alex Wilcox at 470-0140.