Freedom Library celebrates 26 years with annual awards forum

On May 5, the Freedom Library held its 26th Annual Awards Forum, celebrating scholarship and the values of freedom and education the library stands for.

Guest speakers Kiran Hill, a retired Marine Corps officer, and Joshua Stanwitz, a Marine and Army National Guard veteran, spoke on the efforts of Concerned Veterans for America and Americans for Prosperity in supporting a foreign policy of realism and restraint.

The Freedom Library also awarded a scholarship to Katelyn Canaday who participated in both its Economics and U.S. Constitution classes. Every semester, a student in any of the library’s courses can write an essay for a $1,000 scholarship.

The Freedom Library Annual Awards Forum celebrated not just Canaday’s scholarship, but the library’s history of supporting students. In its 26 years, founder Howard Blitz reported that the library has now awarded $110,000 in scholarships to almost 600 individuals.

Blitz shared that the scholarships are a result of the support the Freedom Library receives from people of the Yuma community and others throughout the United States. To learn more about the library, visit http://www.freedomlibrary.org/.

Sisko J. Stargazer can be reached at 928-539-6849 or sstargazer@ yumasun.com.

LOANED PHOTOS FROM HOWARD BLITZ HOWARD BLITZ, FOUNDER OF THE FREEDOM LIBRARY, was joined by guest speakers Kiran Hill (center) and Josh Stanwitz (right) in discussing Realism and Restraint.

HOWARD BLITZ (LEFT) stands with Katelyn Canaday (right), who received a $1,000 academic scholarship from the Freedom Library during its annual awards forum.