LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - The 2025 Jefferson Award winners from our region were recognized Tuesday night at a banquet inside the Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center.
The 2025 Jefferson Awards Gold Medal winner was Betsy Potts with the Veterans Food Pantry of Northwest Ohio.
This year, Stacey Myers Cook, Dave Halker, Judy Jacomet, Penny Keller-Clark, Betsy Potts, Heera Shenoy, and Mandy Weimerskirch were the adult winners of the 2025 Jefferson Awards. The family of Alberta Lee has donated $350 for each adult winner to give to an organization of their choice. Kera Dorsten was this year's Jefferson Award youth winner, and the James E. and Sandra Monfort family has donated $250 for Dorsten to give to her organization of choice. The 2025 Jefferson Awards Gold Medal winner was Betsy Potts with the Veterans Food Pantry of Northwest Ohio. Potts shared her reaction to winning the medal.
“Watching and reading the other Jefferson award winners, there was no way I was going to win this. I am just, you know... I just show up at the pantry every day that we're open and sometimes when we're not open, and I just couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that I was nominated. And this was the last thing I ever thought would happen... but, of course, we know that every cent of it is going back to the veterans, and I’m sure they'll let me know how much they appreciate it,” says Betsy Potts, 2025 Jefferson Award Winner & Gold Medal Winner.
For receiving the Gold Medal, the family of Alberta Lee has given Potts an additional $700 to donate, and she said she will funnel all of the money back into her food pantry.
For receiving the Gold Medal, the family of Alberta Lee has given Potts an additional $700 to donate, and she said she will funnel all of the money back into her food pantry.
