Abington Grad Creates Eastern Award

Abington High School and Eastern Center for Arts and Technology graduate Stephen Woerner was this year’s recipient of the Christopher Laroche Memorial Award. Woerner, a culinary arts student, had a chance to speak with the Laroche family at Eastern’s awards night in May. The Laroches lost their son Christopher — also an Abington High School and Eastern culinary arts graduate — in 2008.

After speaking with the Laroches, Woerner and his father, Robert, decided to create the Sandy Woerner Memorial Award for a culinary arts student who will be continuing his or her culinary education in college or has already gotten a job in the culinary field. The award is named after Stephen’s mother Sandy, who died in June of last year following a battle with cancer.

“Sandy loved the fact that Stephen had chosen a field of study, and had the strong desire to follow through with that field,” Robert Woerner said. “Stephen is a hard worker and achieves the goals he sets for himself, and I know that Sandy would have been beaming with pride at her son’s achievements at Eastern’s Awards Night as he accepted the Christopher Laroche Memorial Award and the Alverthorpe Retired Citizens of Abington Township

Stephen Woerner is completing two years at Montgomery County Community College and plans to go to Temple University to study hotel and restaurant management.

The Sandy Woerner Memorial Award will be presented annually at Eastern’s awards night to a graduating culinary arts student with an “A” average, no more than three absences, and with immediate plans to continue in the culinary field — either in college or in the workforce. A member of the Woerner family will present the $500 award.

Those interested in donating to the Sandy Woerner Memorial Award may make checks payable to “The Eastern Foundation,” indicating “Sandy Woerner Memorial Award in the memo/not section. Checks may be sent to the Eastern Foundation at 3075 Terwood Road, Willow Grove, 19090. All contributions to the Eastern Foundation are tax deductible.



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Information courtesy of Eastern Center for Arts and Technology