BRAFORD SCHOLARSHIP

For Dedication to Community Service

The Bourbonnais Friendship Festival, Inc,

is a non profit organization dedicated to

family oriented recreation and to the

financial support of numerous community

organizations.  This scholarship has been

created to honor the memory of an

individual who was a long time festival

leader and volunteer.  Upon his passing

in Jan. of 2007, those people who were

touched by his dedication to this community, his selflessness, generosity

and giving spirit, donated the money to

create this award.

It is the intention of the Bourbonnais

Friendship Festival that this scholarship

award be granted to an individual whose

values reflect those of the late Mr. Leeman

Braford and that the $250.00 stipend

is used to support future college or

vocational training goals.

Previous Recipients

2008 - Eric Cavender & Rachel Schultz

2007 - Erica Lehnus

Kirsten, of Bourbonnais, is a young lady who fully represents the dedication to community service that the Lee Braford Scholarship seeks to celebrate.  All throughout high school, she has volunteered in a number of situations, including organizing her school's first annual Volley for the Cure Volleyball tournament which raised $5,400 for breast cancer research.  Kirsten worked at a community hospital as a surgical waiting room volunteer during her summers, participated in Rebuilding Together - helping fix up homes for needy families in the area, served food at the Salvation Army during holidays, and tutored Bourbonnais Elementary students in reading.  Other activities have included National Honor Society Treasurer, recycling for the Ecology Club, guidance office volunteer, organization of REACH week at BBCHS which promoted the abolition of  discrimination, involvement in Feed My Starving Children Project, organized her school's Senior Citizens' Spaghetti Dinners, and many other projects.

She plans on attending the University of Illinois Business School in the fall.  However, before that she fully intends to spend the entire summer volunteering in various organizations.  Her parents should be very proud of the  wonderful individual she is becoming and the Lee Braford Scholarship Committee is honored to have her accept the 3rd annual award.

Here is an excerpt from her application essay:  "My sisters and I were taught at a young age that a citizen has a strong responsibility to help his or her community.....  A person should take ownership in the state of his or her community and each individual should do his or her best to improve their community...... If each person did one extra thing to improve his or her community we would have a much happier world."

Congratulations to

Kirsten Frazier

(2009 Graduate of BBCHS)

& Our 2009

Lee Braford

Scholarship

Recipient!