Former Lenape Regional High School District superintendent Kereazis Kiki Konstantinos was known by district students and staff for his dedication to fostering excellence in education.
More than 40,000 students received education under Konstantinos’ tenure as superintendent from 1963 through his retirement in 1993, and the district saw its schools grow from one to three.
Although Konstantinos passed away in 2002 at age 74, education is still promoted in his name to this day through scholarships awarded to district students every year by the K. Kiki Konstantinos Scholarship Foundation.
However, foundation chair Steve Zeuli said the group can’t do it alone, so he’s once again inviting members of the public to attend the foundation’s 24th annual Kiki Open Scholarship Golf Tournament fundraiser on Tuesday, July 19 at the Medford Lakes Country Club in Medford.
“Mr. Konstantinos, Kiki as he was known, was the architect and the vision for what we have here today,” Zeuli said. “There’s thousands and thousands of students that have been benefited from his planning and his enthusiasm and his instruction.”
According Zeuli, rather than honor Konstantinos with a token such as a gold watch upon his retirement, a group of community members chose to establish a foundation bearing Konstantinos’ name to provide scholarships to senior students.
Zeuli said the scholarship program initially started by offering one scholarship to one student at each of the district’s three schools in 1993, but as the years went on and Seneca High School was added to the district, the foundation eventually grew to offering four scholarships to each of the district’s four schools.
The standards used to award the scholarships are also in-line with those set by Konstantinos himself, who during his time as superintendent saw the district maintain excellence in academics, sports and student activities.
Scholarship winners exhibit strength in all three of those areas, and, according to Zeuli, with the money collected so far this year, the foundation has raised more than $450,000 for its scholarship since it began.
However, as Zeuli points out, the annual golf tournament on July 19 is the foundation’s one and only fundraising event for the entire year, so Zeuli is inviting all those interested in promoting education in the district to sign up.
“We have all of these scholarships, one fundraising event,” Zeuli said.
Zeuli said this year the foundation will also be funding one additional scholarship in honor of former foundation member and former LRHSD board member Earl Siegman, who passed away in August of last year.
“He, like Kiki, was a true architect of many of the things that went on in this district,” Zeuli said. “He was a board member for many years as well as a great community servant.”
Those interested in supporting the foundation through the golf tournament can sign up for a full day of activities for $210, which includes the golf outing, a luncheon buffet and the dinner and awards ceremony. Those looking to help the foundation but stay off the green can also sign up for just cocktails and dinner for $95.
For those looking to give more, multiple sponsorship opportunities ranging from $125 to $5,500 are also available.
Those looking for more information about signing up, donating or sponsorships can call Zeuli at (856) 768–1985 or visit www.kikiopen.org.
The foundation asks those interested in playing in the tournament to sign up by July 5 to assure their reservation.
