The C. Faye Tillery Youth Basketball Championships on Saturday at King’s Fork High School were punctuated by the presentation of the C. Faye Tillery Youth Volunteer Scholarship to 18-year-old Shaheer Khan and 12-year-old Makayla Snyder, both of Suffolk.

Vonda Holman-Carter, a niece of Tillery, said she was “definitely pleased with the scholarship selections.”

She noted there were a lot of strong candidates, “but those two stood out amongst the rest.”

The scholarship was an idea Holman-Carter came up with as a way to honor her aunt, who was a much-loved Suffolk Parks and Recreation employee and also someone who served actively in the community.

Tillery passed away about 15 years ago from cervical cancer at the age of 37.

Her family donated the money for the scholarship, which is intended for a young person between the ages of 8 and 18 who volunteers in their community on a regular basis.

Among different requirements, applicants had to submit a one-page, typed essay describing how they serve their community.

Shaheer Khan, a student at King’s Fork, stated in his essay that he was motivated to serve his community after visiting family members in Pakistan and witnessing people there in dire circumstances.

He has volunteered his time at a hospital, but he did not stop there.

“He created his own community service project,” Holman-Carter said.

Feeding Frenzy is the name of a soup kitchen program that Khan has created, and he noted it normally partners up with the Salvation Army to help prepare food and collect canned goods throughout the year.

Another project of Khan’s is to bring the Give Kids The World program to Suffolk. He stated the program involves raising money, approximately $10,000, so that children with a terminal illness can go to Walt Disney World, giving them a time to forget about their circumstances, relax and meet childhood characters.

Makayla Snyder, a student at Forest Glen Middle School, stated in her essay that she serves her community through activities with her Girl Scout troop, the Junior Beta Club at her school and during her personal free time.

“She did a lot to be so young,” Holman-Carter said. “She did a whole lot.”

With the Girl Scouts, Snyder stated she volunteers locally for the Salvation Army, serving lunches to the less fortunate. She also participates in Adopt-A-Spot, which involves periodically cleaning up a street, this particular one being located in Downtown Suffolk.

She noted she and her troop have also participated in the Stop Hunger Now program, which packs and seals food to send overseas to the hungry.

Snyder stated she assists Lakeland High School swim coach Beth Brant at meets, as many Saturdays as she can during the season.

With the Junior Beta Club, Snyder stated she raises funds for Forest Glen and the City of Suffolk, and she also donates canned foods to March of Dimes.

Money was being raised for March of Dimes on Saturday at King’s Fork, and the American Cancer Society also had a presence, providing information on cancer prevention and detection.

Suffolk Parks and Recreation director Lakita Watson praised her athletics supervisor, Roberto Ramos, for having the vision to move the city’s youth basketball championships out of smaller facilities and into the Kennel at King’s Fork.

For the young players, “to get a chance to get on a high school court, it helps them see beyond just the recreation level and where they can end up going,” Watson said.

When Ramos secured the bigger venue, Watson said it makes sense to make the youth league championships part of a full-day event and pair it with what had been previously known as C. Faye Tillery Community Cancer Awareness Day.

“She started the leagues,” Watson said of Tillery.

Following are the results from the C. Faye Tillery Youth Basketball Championships on Saturday at King’s Fork High School:

• Girls Pee Wee Division — Lady Cougars 19, Lady Huskies 6
• Boys Pee Wee Division — Skillz 33, Hoyas 28
• Girls Midget Division — Lady Liberty 14, Lady Cavaliers 3
• Boys Midget Division — Storm 50, Heat 42
• Boys Junior Division — Cavaliers 44, LA Clippers 24