Memorial scholarship pays it forward for the love of outdoor adventure
June 5, 2024 | By Waterbury Roundabout For the sixth year, a Harwood Union High School 10th grader has been chosen for a special award that honors the memory of former Harwood sophomore Liam Hale.
Harwood sophomore Milo Lavit is the recipient of the Liam Kenneth Hale Adventure Scholarship. Courtesy photo
This year the Liam Kenneth Hale Adventure Scholarship has been awarded to Milo Lavit, a member of Harwood’s golf, ice hockey and lacrosse teams.
“I am thankful for the opportunity that I have been given to continue my passions while also being able to try new things and find new hobbies,” Milo wrote in his application. He described the importance of a healthy lifestyle and adventure to who he is as an individual.
“I feel so much happier and healthier when I get outside, try new foods and participate in different activities. I realize that If I never try new things I won't be able to grow,” he wrote.
Liam was a passionate skier, mountain biker and golfer up until his death in 2016 in a wrong-way car crash along with four schoolmates. According to his family, Liam’s exposure to a wide variety of outdoor sports at Sugarbush Resort made him a confident, adventurous, and outgoing young man. His work experience at the mountain taught him responsibility and was a source of great pride.
In 2019, the Hale family established the adventure scholarship in collaboration with Sugarbush Resort in memory Liam. It provides a Harwood Union High School student with the opportunity to learn the skills, virtues, and passion Liam gained during the many joyous days he spent at Sugarbush, the Hale family explains in the application details.
The scholarship is awarded annually on May 9, Liam’s birthday, to a student completing grade 10 that year.
The recipient receives a Sugarbush Four Season Pass to use for skiing/riding, golf, mountain biking, scenic lift rides, and yearlong Sugarbush Health & Recreation Center access. Valued at more than $3,000, the pass includes additional discounts and an equipment allowance.
Those wishing to contribute to this scholarship in memory of Liam can send donations to The Liam Kenneth Hale Adventure Scholarship at HUUSD, 340 Mad River Park, Waitsfield, VT 05672.