Pictured from left to right: Bill Makuch, retired NYS Corrections Department; Tina Holtz, retired Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Department; Stephen Aldrich, scholarship recipient; Daniel Torres, scholarship recipient; David Ortolano, Dunkirk Police Chief; Kurt Maytum, 2nd Assistant Chief of Fredonia Fire Department.

The Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation recently assisted representatives of the Chautauqua Fallen Heroes Scholarship in presenting the Chautauqua Fallen Heroes Scholarship awards. This year the committee proudly awarded scholarships to Stephen Aldrich and Daniel Torres.

Stephen is a 2018 Fredonia High School graduate currently attending SUNY Brockport majoring in psychology. In his application essay, Stephen said, “I truly cannot see myself working in a career outside of the emergency services field. Every firefighter, EMT, and police officer is a hero. I am thrilled to become a part of this big family one day.”

Daniel recently graduated from Cassadaga Valley High School and is now attending Jamestown Community College majoring in Criminal Justice. “The passion of mine to help others has led me to look into careers in law enforcement,” says Daniel in his essay. “This is why I decided to go to college and pursue my dream of becoming a State Trooper.”

The Chautauqua Fallen Heroes Fund was established at the NCCF in the fall of 2001. The primary purpose of this fund is to provide support to the families of county heroes – firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMS personnel and other local uniformed heroes – who have been killed or critically debilitated in the line of duty. The fund also provides scholarships to students who are interested in careers in public safety. To qualify, applicants must be pursuing a career in law enforcement, firefighting, or emergency medical services.

For additional information on this scholarship visit www.nccfoundation.org/fallen-heroes-1 or e-mail vhowell@nccfoundation.org. A list of other scholarships is available on the website www.nccfoundation.org/scholarships-home.

The NCCF, incorporated in 1986, is a tax-exempt charitable organization. Since its establishment, the NCCF has distributed more than $14 million in the community through its various grant programs. It is an organization inherently committed to enriching the northern Chautauqua community and encouraging local philanthropy. For more information on the NCCF, visit www.nccfoundation.org or call 716-366-4892.