La Porte Service League has already provided numerous volunteer services to benefit the community as it enters its 83rd season.
The League is an independent women’s organization that seeks to enrich the La Porte area with community assistance programs, youth outreach and the arts. Members donate at least 50 hours of volunteer time each year in the organization’s many projects, where they wear trademark pink shirts. Currently there are 42 active and 8 “honored” Service League members, and last year the membership contributed more than 5,000 hours.
Currently, the League supports the schools with tutoring sessions at Handley Elementary School, eye screenings for La Porte and South Central elementary students, and provides handmade fleece blankets for children who need comfort in stressful circumstances.
In February, the organization will again visit La Porte Community School Corporation preschool classrooms. Preschoolers will receive dental health kits and instruction on preventative care from the “Tooth Fairy,” tied in to the American Dental Association’s “Give Kids a Smile” program.
La Porte Service League also is well known for its long history of bringing live theatre to county students. Work begins soon on the annual school play, “Little Red Riding Hood and the Magic Dragon”, which will premier January 31, 2016 at 1:00 pm in the La Porte High School auditorium. League members provide all aspects of the production, from set building, lighting, acting, directing, and costumes to sound, reaching 3,000-5,000 students annually.
President Elizabeth Dekker said, “The play is just one of many wonderful projects that La Porte Service League is pleased to bring to our community, in support of the arts and education.”
Other League artistic endeavors in October included working with the La Porte Library to present a fun skit for children and their families during Lights Out at the Library, and ushering for the La Porte Symphony Orchestra children’s concert.
Additional ongoing projects include Meals on Wheels deliveries, Bingo parties at the county home, bell ringing and cooking meals for the Salvation Army, collecting household items and purchasing diapers for the Women’s Care Center.
The League also plans to continue its popular Trivia Night event in April 2016. Funds raised help to provide scholarships and recognition to local students, including:
The La Porte Service League Scholarship is awarded to a high school senior who plans to major in theatre, music, radio or TV direction or production, communications or a related field in fine arts.
The Kitty Wolf Scholarship is awarded to honors dedication to the arts with a plan to continue pursuing this goal in college.
The Diane Bamberth Scholarship is awarded to an individual who emulates a spirit of volunteering in our community and who plans on majoring in a fine arts field.
A new scholarship for 2016 will be the John “Jack” Whitted Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is to be awarded to a La Porte High School senior who has experience in and is planning a college major in engineering, architecture, construction management, building trades or theatre arts. Jack Whitted was known for his generosity to the community through his creativity, artistic prowess, ingenuity and amazing talent for developing, building and fixing almost anything upon request. He selflessly gave of these talents for decades to La Porte Service League’s annual children’s plays through set design and construction as well as special effects. The memory of Jack’s accomplishments will be honored through this scholarship with the hope of encouraging the recipients to develop and share their talents with their communities.
The Frances M. Rumely Memorial Award of Excellence is awarded annually to the senior woman who ranks first among the members of her class in all-around womanly qualities, including intellectual ability; steadfastness of character; capacity for leadership; and distinguished service to school and community.
For more information on La Porte Service League, check out the web page at www.laporteserviceleague.com or the organization’s Facebook page.