LIMA – The Allen Lima Leadership youth scholarship raffle has a winner: Kevin Mefferd.

ALL Executive Director Heather Rutz pulled Mefferd’s ticket from the raffle Dec. 9. Mefferd, who is ALL Class of 2015 member Cindy Mefferd’s husband, won $5,000.

The Allen Lima Leadership Class of 2015 used the raffle to begin endowing a $500 scholarship. The scholarship will be given annually to a graduating senior who is also a graduate of the ALL Youth Class.

The Class wanted to support the youth program, which is in its 20th year, and also contribute to the many efforts being made to keep young people in the community. Once the scholarship is endowed, graduating seniors from Allen County high schools who are also graduates of the Allen Lima Youth Leadership Class will be eligible for the $500 scholarship to any college or post-secondary training. Those students will be invited to apply and write an essay about why they would remain in the area after their education and that essay will be judged by a panel from the Class of 2015.

To jumpstart the fundraising efforts, the class held the ALL-Youth Scholarship $5,000 Sweepstakes Raffle. Only 100 tickets could be sold at $100 each. The class sold 93 tickets and raised $4,300 for the scholarship fund.

To make a donation to the fund, checks should be made to Allen Lima Leadership, with “Youth Scholarship Fund” in the memo.
Each year, the graduating class of Allen Lima Leadership creates and develops a service project to continue their work as a class and also give something back to the community. Past efforts include the Teddy Bear Fund, Love Luggage program and Visual Pride project.

Allen Lima Leadership (ALL) is a county-wide leadership program that develops new leaders for our community. ALL promotes positive change in the Allen/Lima community by providing an education that improves understanding of community issues, institutions, self and others and training individuals in advanced leadership principles. The program is divided into 10 monthly sessions. Each session includes studying community issues as well as specific leadership training. Learn more about the program and apply for the next class at www.allenlimaleadership.com.