Youth Awards
Our Potential, Our Future
It has been said that our Club is all about kids and veterans and that sums up what we do. We provide scholarships to seniors, encourage sportsmanship among athletes and fans, and financial support for schools, including the deaf and hard of hearing program and other youth organizations. Below you'll find our youth program descriptions and history.
Dr. Lenny Biallas
Youth of the Year Program
Each year, six high school seniors, three each from Quincy Notre Dame and Quincy Senior High Schools, are selected to receive recognition as the Youth of the Month by the Club. Recognition includes lunch for the student and family, their high school counselor and school principal at a club meeting. Each student receives a handsome Lucite award in recognition of their accomplishment. These six recipients are then tasked with submitting an essay, based on a topic selected by the youth committee of the club, which is then judged for selection as the Youth of the Year. Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, the Club has chosen to honor Dr. Len Biallas, who served for many years on the Youth Committee until his death in 2022.
In addition to being a long-time member of the club, Lenny was an educator, receiving degrees from the University of Notre Dame, Holy Cross College and his Doctorate from the Catholic Institute in Paris, France. A professor of Theology and Religious Studies at Quincy University from 1973-2004, he chaired the division for 12 years. A world traveler, Lenny taught in Paris, Rome, India, Uganda, Kaunas, Lithuania, and Viet Nam and lectured in eight different countries in his 53 years as a professor. The recipient of the Dr. Len Biallas Award will receive a college scholarship of $2,500 from the Club.
2026 Youth of the Year Award
Isabelle Boudreau
Past Winners!
2025 Youth of the Year Award Anshu Podaralla, QHS
| 2025 | Anshu Podaralla, QHS |
James “Bud” Willer Resilience Award
The Bud Willer Award annually recognizes a high school student who has overcome mental or physical disabilities or made dramatic changes in their life or attitudes and performance to enable them to graduate. Adversities can include child abuse, drug abuse, medical or physical handicaps or any other disability that has disadvantaged the student during their school years. A 1970 article in the Quincy Herald Whig recognized Bud for his 25 years of portraying Santa Claus in Washington Park. He retired from playing Santa in 1971. Bud was a well-known athlete in high school and college, playing quarterback and running track for both the Blue Devils and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
He lettered three years in football at Iowa and was a member of the Iowa relay team that once set a world record in the 480 yard run. After graduation, Bud sold Putnam dyes and was later named director of Adult Education Programs of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). During World War II, he served in Army Counterintelligence in France, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. Beginning in 1940 until his retirement in 1977, Bud was a rehabilitation counselor for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. At the time, his 37 years in the position was longer than any other counselor in the state. Following his death in April 1978, the Bud Willer Award was established to honor Bud's legacy of working with those who required vocational rehabilitation. The recipient of the James “Bud” Willer Award will also receive a college scholarship of $2,500 from the Club.
2026 James “Bud” Willer Resilience Award
Nolan Heck
Past Winners!
2025 James "Bud" Willer Award
Kaitlyn Brown, QND
| 2025 | Kaitlyn Brown, QND |
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