Foundation Hosts 22nd Annual Salute to the Real American Heroes
8/30/2023
Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) hosted the 22nd Annual Salute to the Real American Heroes honoring southeast Texas first responders and military personnel at 6 p.m. September 7, at the Beaumont Civic Center.
The program included dinner, a bagpipe procession and a recognition of scholarship recipients. The Allen Police and Fire Department were presented a flag in honor of their expeditious response to the active shooting event at the Allen Premium Outlets in May 2023.
LIT presented the C.A. Pete Shelton First Responder Award to Kenan White and Will Lyons.
White is a Beaumont paramedic and Field Training Officer. On October 13, 2019, while on his way to work, he stopped to render aid to several people involved in a car accident on the Purple Heart Memorial Bridge. While doing so, White was stuck by a passing vehicle and suffered multiple life-threatening injuries, including a head injury, broken back,, severely injured left hand and multiple broken ribs.
Lyons is a LIT Regional Fire Academy alumni, and former instructor and Department Head of Public, Service and Safety. Lyons also has a lifetime of service as a first responder ranging from working for the FBI, serving in the U.S. Marine Corp, working as a EMS Manager/Paramedic, figrefighter, engineer and more.The proceeds from this event benefit the LIT Foundation and provide scholarships for students majoring in Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Criminal Justice, Emergency Medical Technology, Regional Police Academy and Regional Fire Academy programs at LIT. Since the event's inception, over $900,000 has been raised and 175 scholarships have been awarded.
Scholarship recipients include:
Jordan Humphreys
Jose Contreras
Aleona Darden
Angel Thibodeaux-Roberts
Bailey Leblanc
Charles Wagner
Christopher Willis
Darius Palmer
Diana Arteaga
Haden Grove
Hannah Carraway
Hayden Sopchak
James Gentry
Jashon Reed
Kellan Hawkins
Kenneth Luce
Kylen Collier
Laranda Pippin
Luisa Luna De La Torre
Meosha Ford
Muhammad Jabbar
Noah Sanders
Sage Brammer
Sandra Anderson
Sean Stevenson
The 2023 event chairpeople are Mary Ann Reid, Golden Pass LNG, and Rod Carroll, City of Vidor Police Department. For more information, visit https://lit.edu/foundation/salute or contact Krista Hunter at foundation@lit.edu or (409) 839-2956.
