Polk County Award Recipients 2024
January
Touchdown! For the Dyer Difference Award
Photo: General Manager David Dlugokecki (center) presents the Dyer Difference award
The Lake Wales Youth Football League works with children ages four to 15 to help introduce them to football and cheerleading. While lots of football and cheer squads exist in the area, the Lake Wales Youth Football League is unique in that it was created to ensure that financial hardship did not keep families from participating.
That’s why participation in Lake Wales Youth Football is at no cost to families and provides opportunities for all children in the community to both experience the fun and teambuilding benefits of youth football but also to be part of something very special and memorable, too.
Organizers focus on teamwork, accountability, and athletic skill instead of victory at all costs, and the special bonds formed because of this focus are priceless, helping participants to work hard and succeed in all facets of life. This month, the Dyer Difference Award recognizes the hard work of the five football and five cheer teams that make up the Lake Wales Football League and cheers on their continued success.
February
Dyer Difference Award Recognizes Vanguard School
Photo: Sales Manager Bobby Ruis and General Manager David Dlugokecki presents a Dyer Difference Award to Shannon Graves, head of Vanguard School
Learning can be lots of fun, but it’s also difficult, and for some students, learning feels like it’s an impossible mountain they are being required to climb all alone. But alone is not something students at Vanguard School ever feel.
Since 1966, the Vanguard School has been serving students from all over the world and working diligently to help provide the tools to help ensure a successful, productive life for students of all abilities.
The Vanguard School serves students in grades six through twelve who struggle academically because of a variety of learning differences including Dyslexia, Dyscaculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, and anxiety.
By limiting the number of students and utilizing individualized instruction planning and focusing on creative ways to build confidence, students at the Vanguard School not only benefit educationally, but socially, with lifelong friendships being developed and the magic of learning celebrated every day.
For many students, it’s their first experience with academic success and achievement, and it is life-changing! Being honored with the Dyer Difference Award in Polk County will help ensure the continuation of this success and the off-campus activities that help Vanguard educators provide teachable moments and experiential activities.
March
Dyer Difference Award Recognizes Lake Wales High School Football
Photo: General Manager David Dlugokecki presents a Dyer Difference Award to Coach TaVaris Johnson of Lake Wales High School Football
Every season, the lights go up, the shoulder pads go on, and the kickoff signals the start of a season of excitement, education, and enrichment for students at Lake Wales High School. The football program at Lake Wales High School strives to enrich the holistic and intellectual development of the young men from our community, beginning when the athletes enter and culminating with graduation. In addition to learning about teamwork and strategy, student athletes will experience leadership opportunities, responsibility, accountability, and rewards unique to the game of football.
And it’s not just the players who learn from every game; classmates, supporters, family, and school personnel also have the opportunity to learn how to be humble in victory and graceful in moments of defeat. These experiences help to develop how to act during similar circumstances ‘in real life’ long after the shoulder pads are gone and the tackles and hits in life are taken without additional padding. To help ensure that members of the team continue to play, learn, and share with the community, the March Dyer Difference Award celebrates the Lake Wales High School Football program.
April
Double Dyer Difference Awards: Hillcrest Elementary
Photo: General Manager David Dlugokecki presents a Dyer Difference Award to Hillcrest Elementary’s Rebecca Thomas and Meghan Balliett.
Achieving and maintaining good mental health is as important as learning at Hillcrest Elementary in Lake Wales, and with a little creativity, a lot of understanding, and maybe a shovel and pitchfork, helping students thrive and enhancing their social-emotional learning experience just got a little easier thanks to the Dyer Difference Award.
That’s because Hillcrest Elementary is implementing an Equine Mental Health facet to its bag of tricks, which will allow the school’s mental health staff to utilize equine therapy through horse interactions in the counseling setting.
And since the equine practitioners do not utilize a traditional office space, the Dyer Difference Award is helping to fund construction of a corral for the therapeutic horses as well as some items to help provide for their care.
In addition to enhancing the social-emotional learning experience, the 681 students at Hillcrest Elementary will also get hands-on interactions and a chance to learn how to care for the gentle animals.
May
Double Dyer Difference Awards: Wheels for Charities
General Manager David Dlugokecki presents a Dyer Difference Award to Wheels for Charities’ Jen Thayer, Jason Lord and Dale Livermore with help from Dyer’s Corey Clough
A different kind of ‘horsepower’ is also being supported by the Dyer Difference Award, but the results are still all about assisting the community. Wheels for Charities is a local nonprofit organization which hosts car shows and other events to help raise awareness and support the community on a variety of issues involving veterans, autism awareness, breast cancer, and homeless pets.
Each car show presented by Wheels for Charities focuses on a different important issue in the community and offers a little ‘giddyup’ and support. The Dyer Difference Award will help Wheels for Charities continue to provide entertaining events with an important purpose, and helping to support the community is what the Dyer Difference Award is always all about.
June
First Friday Kids Support Group
General Manager David Dlugokecki presents a Dyer Difference Award to Vincent Edelbeck as Corey Clough looks on
A dozen years ago, a group of Kiwanis Club members were made aware of how many children in the community were not getting regular meals on weekends. The same children who have access to nutritious meals during the school day are often going without on the weekends.
The community-minded Kiwanians wanted to create an organization which would help provide for these children, and the First Friday Kids Support Group was born. Since its inception, the group has dedicated 100 percent of all funds raised to helping ensure that children in the community do not have to worry about food over the weekends.
For 40 weekends of the year, the First Friday Kids Support Group provides 65 children with weekend food. The children are students of the Davenport School of the Arts and CODE Academy in Lakeland, and the backpacks of food received help to ensure that the children, and often other members of their family, too, do not go hungry simply because the school week is over.
Studies have long shown that students who are well-fed tend to achieve better academically, and the Dyer Difference Award applauds the efforts of the First Friday Kids Support Group in helping to ensure a better future for all in the community.