{"id":3948,"date":"2013-02-08T23:27:16","date_gmt":"2013-02-09T04:27:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=3948"},"modified":"2013-02-08T23:35:15","modified_gmt":"2013-02-09T04:35:15","slug":"scholarship-benefit-exudes-coatesville-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=3948","title":{"rendered":"Scholarship benefit exudes Coatesville power"},"content":{"rendered":"

All-star cast delivers can-do message to appreciative crowd<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

By Kathleen Brady Shea<\/span><\/strong>, Managing Editor, The Times<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"Diana<\/a>

Diana Robinson Lewis checks in with her mother, Doris Spann (right), and her aunt, Elsie Spann (left), before the start of the program.<\/p><\/div>\n

She rubbed elbows in a meat locker with Sylvester Stallone in \u201cRocky,\u201d received mentoring from Regis Philbin in Hollywood, hobnobbed with Oprah on prime-time, got tennis instruction from Venus Williams, and earned a passel of journalism and humanitarian awards for her decades-long stint as a news anchor and community activist in Detroit.<\/p>\n

But Diana Robinson Lewis said her favorite audience was the one she faced Thursday night at the Gateway Church in Parkesburg: her friends and relatives in Coatesville.<\/p>\n

The longtime broadcaster, whose TV career began at Channel 6, said she credits her success to the family ties she continues to hold dear. Heading an all-star cast, Lewis delivered the keynote address at the Harry Lewis Jr. Scholarship benefit, an award named after another Coatesville success story, her brother-in-law, a longtime educator and activist.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Scarlett<\/a>

Scarlett Patton (left) poses with her proud mother, Wendy Patton, after the 19-year-old addressed an appreciative crowd.<\/p><\/div>\n

James H. Manning Jr., vice chairman of the board of the Brandywine Health Foundation opened the program by explaining the foundation\u2019s commitment to fostering positive growth in the lives of Coatesville-area youth. Then he introduced an ambassador for the kind of change the foundation espouses.<\/p>\n

Scarlett Patton, 19, the first recipient of the Harry Lewis Jr. scholarship, confidently told the crowd of nearly 300 that the $5,000-a-year award enabled her to attend Delaware County Community College, becoming the first person in her family to attend college. She said she plans to complete two years and transfer to West Chester University where she will pursue a teaching degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout this [scholarship], I wouldn\u2019t have the chance to follow my dream,\u201d she said, adding, \u201cthis is pretty overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n

The scholarship, established by the Brandywine Health Foundation\u2019s board of directors in the fall of 2011, will be awarded each year to a deserving student. Recipients of the scholarship, whose funding is independent of the foundation, are selected for their demonstrated \u201ccommitment to improving the quality of life in the greater Coatesville community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coatesville Area School District Superintendent Richard Como said he had no doubt Patton would succeed, given her \u201cred and black\u201d background as a CASH grad. He said statistics belie the district\u2019s college admission rate. Many students can\u2019t afford higher education right after high school; however, about 80 percent get there eventually. Even more impressive, thanks to their resolve and tenacity, they seldom drop out, he said.<\/p>\n

\"Coatesville<\/a>

Coatesville Area School District Superintendent Richard Como speaks to the crowd at the Harry Lewis Jr. Scholarship benefit.<\/p><\/div>\n

Continuing the high-energy theme of Coatesville pride and the Lewis dynasty, Regina Horton Lewis, Harry Lewis\u2019s wife \u2013 recently selected to receive the 2013 Rebecca Lukens Award – introduced her sister-in-law, pointing out that both of her relatives have always been \u201cpassionate about education.\u201d<\/p>\n

Regina Lewis explained that listing all of her sister-in-law\u2019s achievements would take too much time. Instead, she limited herself to the past decade, beginning a litany that included the Governor\u2019s Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences, the \u201cHeart of HAVEN\u201d award for over 20 years of service to domestic-violence victims, and induction into the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe used her anchor chair to educate,\u201d Regina Lewis said, pointing out that when Glenda, one of Diana Lewis\u2019s two daughters, joined WXYZ in Detroit, they became the only mother-daughter anchor team in America. \u201cShe informed. She taught. She inspired,\u201d Regina Lewis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am overjoyed and overwhelmed and excited about returning home tonight to this wonderful event,\u201d Diana Robinson Lewis exclaimed as she took the stage. \u201cThis is the first time I think I know everyone,\u201d she said as she surveyed the audience. \u201cI love this feeling, the feeling of family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Harry<\/a>

Harry Lewis Jr. accepts congratulations after an inspiring program to benefit the scholarship named in his honor.<\/p><\/div>\n

Then, she used those connections to regale the crowd with lively anecdotes about her upbringing, explaining how different relatives imparted lasting lessons in courage, integrity and perseverance, instilling her with confidence.\u00a0 \u201cI recall saying, \u2018Oh, yes I can,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

And even though she left Coatesville in 1974, it never left her. She even took part of it with her: her husband, Glenn Lewis, an Emmy Award-winning editor. Married for almost 40 years, he\u2019s \u201cthe love of my life \u2013 a Coatesville man,\u201d she said proudly.<\/p>\n

The couple spent several years living and working in Los Angeles before moving to Detroit, but the distance never stopped her from calling her brother and her mother in Coatesville daily. \u201cIt\u2019s made a difference in my life,\u201d she said, expressing gratitude for their invaluable support.<\/p>\n

She ended her presentation by playing a celebrity-laden video tribute she received from her Detroit colleagues when she retired in October after 35 years, and she urged the audience to support education, which in turn bolsters the community. She vowed that she will continue her activism \u2013 as well as her favorite \u201cfeel-good exercise: dance.\u201d Is she destined for a certain star-studded TV dance show? It may be in the works, she said.<\/p>\n

Pete Mango, who runs Signal 88 Security of Octorara with his wife, Jeannette Mango, said they didn\u2019t hesitate to support the fund-raiser. \u00a0\u201cAs a retired police chief from the Coatesville area, I understand the importance of getting Coatesville’s kids headed in the right direction,\u201d he said. \u201cIt’s easier to sail a large ship straight than to have to make constant course corrections.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

All-star cast delivers can-do message to appreciative crowd By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times She rubbed elbows in a meat locker with Sylvester Stallone in \u201cRocky,\u201d received mentoring from Regis Philbin in Hollywood, hobnobbed with Oprah on prime-time, got tennis instruction from Venus Williams, and earned a passel of journalism and humanitarian awards […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3976,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3],"tags":[1507,110,592,24,1506,1360,655,1503,1504,1508,1510,1472,1505,1509],"class_list":["post-3948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-featured","tag-2013-rebecca-lukens-award","tag-brandywine-health-foundation","tag-cash","tag-coatesville","tag-coatesville-area-school-district-superintendent-richard-como","tag-diana-robinson-lewis","tag-harry-lewis","tag-harry-lewis-jr-scholarship","tag-james-h-manning-jr","tag-national-association-of-television-arts-and-sciences","tag-pete-mango","tag-regina-horton-lewis","tag-scarlett-patton","tag-signal-88-security-of-octorara"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3948"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3948\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}