(This article, reprinted with permission, featuring Peggy Park, class of 1977, in observance of the 20th anniversary of her tragic murder, appeared in The Columbus Dispatch on December 13, 2004.) 12/17/04

Foundation's first scholarships honor 'Herk' 

By DEBORAH M. DUNLAP 

With the ink barely dry on its official title and mission, the Whitehall Education Foundation has announced its first scholarship offering to Whitehall seniors.

The pair of $1,000 scholarships will bear the name of one of Whitehall's biggest community supporters: James "Herk" Soteriades.

Soteriades died in May 2000 after a short fight with liver cancer.

Brent Howard, the Foundation's Investment Committee chairman, said the scholarships were made possible through an anonymous donation.

"We are extremely appreciative to receive this kind of contribution so early in the foundation's establishment," Howard said this week.

Howard said the scholarships have been in the works since before January and are the first endowed fund the foundation has handled.

He called the anonymous donation "very generous."

One of the two scholarships will be awarded each year to a Whitehall-Yearling High School senior pursuing post-high school education in the field of safety.

The other scholarship will go to a senior pursuing a career in the performing arts.

According to Howard, Soteriades was a big supporter of the Whitehall City School District, particularly the theater department. But it was his love for the community as a whole that made "Herk" a household name.

"He was a huge, huge supporter of Whitehall," said Howard, who knew Soteriades. "He was a great guy. He was a lover of Whitehall and worked tirelessly for the city. He was a man of action."

Soteriades retired in 1995 from a long career with the Whitehall Fire Department, where he wore the hats of both firefighter and chief.

He also was appointed to the state fire commission and served on Whitehall City Council.

But it was his love for the theater that prompted Whitehall-Yearling theater director Jan Plank to dedicate the school's spring 2001 production of Guys and Dolls to him.

"He was such a great supporter of the arts," said Plank at the time of the show, "and a great supporter of the Whitehall schools all around."

According to Plank, it was Soteriades who encouraged her to tackle Guys and Dolls.

Howard said this first endowment is a fitting platform from which to launch the foundation's future work.

The foundation "is a great entity that allows a lot of people who want to give back to the community to do so in a very organized, professional manner. It allows the entire community to support school improvement and programs."

The foundation was founded last year as a nonprofit organization, but still is working on bylaws and other official groundwork as it continues in its "infancy stages," said Howard.

For more information about how to make a contribution call 614-236-9852.

Information for seniors on the two scholarships soon will be available in the high school guidance office.

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