Annual walk-a-thon raises $4,600 for college scholarships

Published 6:39 pm Monday, October 21, 2024

By Max Harden

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DOWAGIAC — Community members took to the track at Dowagiac Union High School Saturday morning to honor the life and legacy of Ronda Lucas-Sullivan. 

The Ronda Lucas-Sullivan Legacy Foundation hosted its second annual Walk-a-thon Fundraiser Saturday morning. Walkers provided flat donations or sponsors to donate per lap, which came out to $4,600 that will go toward scholarships given to two high school seniors attending traditional or trade schools. 

“She was an avid community member, she made sure she came to all of our schooling events, all the games,” said Foundation founder DeYonte Sullivan. “After we graduated, she still went to games and then she was the school board president. She just loved being involved in her community, so this is us giving back but also the community still giving back to us too with supporting the foundation.”

The Ronda Lucas-Sullivan Legacy Foundation was founded last year to empower Dowagiac youth through the provision of financial assistance, mentorship and community support as a tribute to Ronda Sullivan, a life-long Dowagiac resident and prominent community member who passed away last year following an eight-year battle with gastric cancer.  

Sullivan was heavily involved in community and district activities. A former Parent Teacher Organization president in the district, Sullivan supervised several area McDonald’s locations for JNKO Management Inc. and in 2021 was chosen to be the DUS Board of Education president after years of serving on the board. 

Sullivan’s twin sister, Danielle Lucas, is a financial aid systems analyst at Southwestern Michigan College and serves on the Dowagiac City Council. Lucas, who also sits on the foundation board, was happy with the turnout.

“It just shows so much love, it shows what she did in the community didn’t go in vain,” said Lucas-Sullivan’s twin sister and Dowagiac City Councilmember Danielle Lucas. “She grew up here, she poured into the community and the community’s given back so that means a lot to us, especially (her sons) and the sacrifice that their mom made being on the school board and giving back to different students that were coming along that people even know that she did things for. It’s just nice that you know that it will continue on for years to come. We’re getting mad support and it means a lot to us – it means a lot that she’s still being thought about.”

Sullivan thanked the community for supporting the event and said that the foundation is planning to host a silent auction as its next event.

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