The 2016 Class of Benedum Fellows has been announced. And they’re probably a couple of names you’ll recognize.

 

Bradley Ford, representing the Benedum Festival, announced the winners of this year’s Benedum Fellows as well as the Benedum Youth Awards on Monday. Former Bridgeport Fireman Phil Dye and Scottish Festival founder the late Ann Watson were named this year’s Benedum Fellows.

 

Ford also announced two Bridgeport students as the youth winners. Maggie Lohmann and Titus Smith are the 2016 recipients of that honor.

 

“I think the committee ended up with two excellent choices for this year’s Benedum Fellows,” said Ford. “Phil Dye’s contributions go beyond his years of work at the fire department as he was known throughout the community for teaching children about fire safety at the schools. He was known by all the kids as fireman Phil.

 

“Then you have Ann Watson who is being honored and many know here for the creation of the highly successful Scottish Festival (and Celtic Gathering),” Ford continued. “Any time you see an event that has the success that it has had, you know it started with an idea. She took that idea and planted the seed and years later you’re still seeing the results.”

 

The individuals will be recognized July 2 at the “Picnic in the Park” event, which is a scaled down version of this year’s Benedum Festival that is geared mainly toward the Bridgeport community. The recognition, according to City Clerk Andrea Kerr, will take place at 8:30 p.m. that evening on the performance stage. The Benedum Fellow winners and youth winners will all be recognized at that time.

 

The honors have been bestowed annually in connection with the Benedum Festival, which celebrates the many contributions of Michael Late Benedum. His philanthropic efforts resulted in many city landmarks including the Benedum Civic Center, Bridgeport Cemetery and Bridgeport United Methodist Church, among others.

 

Nominations are received annually and honorees are chosen by a committee. Those sought after for the award go above and beyond the call of duty to serve his or her community.

 

Editor's Note: Phil Dye, left, is shown with Bridgeport City Manager Kim Haws during a retirement ceremony in Dye's honor on April 30, 2014 in the top photo, while Ann Watson is shown below playing the bagpipes.