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Belvidere CUSD 100 donors award 73 scholarships totaling more than $250,000 at district ceremony
Summary
At the District 100 Local Scholarship Celebration, community groups and families presented 73 scholarships to graduating seniors from Belvidere High School, Belvidere North and Everest, with awards ranging from several $500 grants up to $10,000 memorial scholarships.
Jim Friesmo, a District 100 staff member, welcomed attendees to the 2025 District 100 Local Scholarship Celebration and said the district’s donors “will be giving out over $250,000 tonight” and that the program would distribute 73 scholarships.
The ceremony at Belvidere High School brought together dozens of local organizations, club leaders and families to present awards to seniors from Belvidere High School, Belvidere North High School and Everest High School. The event combined short remarks about each scholarship with the announcement of recipients and occasional historical notes about long-running awards.
The event’s scale reflected long-term community philanthropy: Richard Ferguson, identified by Friesmo as the donor of the Mann Award, has traveled to Belvidere to present that award since 2005; Friesmo said the Mann Award has been given in Belvidere since 1905 and this was its 120th year. Many presenters described memorial scholarships established by families or local groups to honor a relative or community leader.
A range of award sizes was announced during the evening. Presenters said the Boone County Fire District No. 2 Firefighters Association awarded five $1,000 scholarships; the Ted Baker Memorial Scholarship distributed $500 awards; the Colton Gritzmacher Memorial Scholarship awarded $2,500; the Coach Gary Lewis Scholarship awarded a $5,000 scholarship; and several newly endowed scholarships announced larger inaugural awards, including $5,000 and $10,000 gifts. The Boone County Community Foundation representative said the foundation coordinates many funds and that the foundation and local donors together support hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships each year.
Superintendent Cassandra Shunt noted that some scholarships targeted particular student activities or backgrounds: the Belvidere Tornadoes cross country scholarship honored youth team members and awarded one recipient from Belvidere High School and one from Belvidere North. Presenters for career-focused funds described awards aimed at trade and technical pathways (examples included scholarships intended for nursing, trades such as HVAC and automotive, and vocational certificates).
Individual winners were named throughout the night by dozens of presenters representing civic groups, boosters, veterans organizations, clubs and families. Presenters included representatives from the Boone County Community Foundation, the Belvidere Rotary Club, Belvidere Youth Baseball, Zonta Club, Lions Club, the Boone County Arts Council, and many school-based boosters and alumni groups. Several presenters described how scholarship funds are raised—through events such as golf outings, fairs and other local fundraisers—and how selection committees review applications and essays.
Organizers closed the ceremony with community remarks and a charge to students. Billy Lewis, principal of Belvidere High School, urged graduates to “believe in yourself and your future” and said scholarships represent the community’s investment in students.
No formal district policy changes, votes or motions were made at the ceremony; the evening consisted of presentations and donor remarks. The event combined historical context for named awards, donor acknowledgments and the public announcement of winners.
