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Leona Farris Lodge DedicationSeptember 16, 2021
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Leona Farris Lodge
(formerly Silver Springs Lodge)
5027 Stow Rd.
Stow, OH 44224
On September 16, 2021, The City of Stow will dedicate the newly renamed, Leona Farris Lodge. In honor of Mrs. Farris’s dedication to children and education, the event will be family friendly and all are invited to join the City of Stow for treats from Handel’s Ice Cream and the Kona Ice Truck, games on the lawn and a short dedication ceremony. City of Stow Mayor John Pribonic will welcome guests, and Magistrate Kani Hightower, who grew up in Stow, will be the featured speaker. Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority of which Mrs. Farris is a Diamond Member, and Jack and Jill of America, Akron Chapter of which Mrs. Farris was a founding president will also present remarks, among others.
The Leona Farris Lodge Dedication will take place on September 16, 2021 from 6-8 PM at The Leona Farris Lodge (formerly Silver Springs Lodge) at 5027 Stow Rd., Stow, OH. The event is part of The City of Stow Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion series of events that also included the dedication of the new Summa Health, which was built on the land where Leona Farris and her husband Dr. Melvin Farris first owned a home in Stow. The series also included the dedication of the John Lewis Memorial Bridge in July.
Leona Farris was born August 11, 1917, and was a longtime resident of Stow. Mrs. Farris now resides in Copley. She and her husband, Dr. Melvin Farris were among the first Black residents of Stow. They moved to Stow in 1954 after a previously unsuccessful attempt to purchase a home in the then all white township. The Farris family was the third Black family to move to Stow, but the first with children, who were the first black children to attend Stow schools.
Leona Farris was extremely dedicated to education and community advocacy. Mrs. Farris holds a bachelor's degree from Ohio State University, where she was involved in integrating the dormitories, and also holds a masters degree from Kent State University. Mrs. Farris was an assistant professor at the University of Akron where a scholarship was created in her name in 1987. She was among the first Black professors at the University of Akron and the first Black woman to hold a professorship there. Mrs. Farris was also involved in the Western Reserve Girl Scouts Council, United Way and the NAACP.
The City of Stow has also set up two Diversity, Equity and Inclusion scholarships through the Stow Schools Foundation in honor of Leona Farris and John Lewis. Inquiries about donating to those funds and all other inquiries can be directed to: [email protected].
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
5027 Stow Rd, Stow, OH 44224-1529, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.