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The Betty Booker Lontz Scholarship Fund
This scholarship fund was established in August 2013 by Betty Lontz, a life-long swimmer and devoted and beloved swim instructor. Growing up in Bon Air, Virginia, Betty’s parents collaborated with four other families to build the Bon Air Pool. By 5 years old, she was swimming with the Midgets – children several years older – rather than the Mites. By age ten, she was swimming on a National championship relay team and, though the expense of the trip prevented it, invited to the 1960 Olympics.
Betty began teaching swimming when she was 14 years old. She trained with the West Hampton College swimmers while in high school and took a job at the pool at The Homestead when she graduated. The late 1960’s found Betty at Fort Lee, Virginia teaching lifeguarding skills to returning Vietnam veterans preparing for the United States Special Services. It was there she met her first husband, Bill Lontz. Having been known to say, “If I can find a guy who can out swim me, I’ll marry him,” she was true to her word and married him after two dates. They were married 39 years until his death in 2007.
The young couple moved to Europe for two years, where Betty started another swimming program. On returning to Virginia and the Fredericksburg area, she was instrumental in establishing the pool at Curtis Park. Her well-known Fredericksburg Swim School business (originally called Country Swim School) began in 1975. Over the years, Betty taught swimming and water safety skills to more than 10,000 children -- including some who became Olympic caliber swimmers.
Betty Lontz passed away on November 5, 2015. She attributed her lifetime of swimming with her resiliency in the face of the genetic condition Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. “Wellness is my story,” said Betty. She believed that, “it’s just smart for people to stay healthy.” In the face of growing social issues that stem from illness, it just makes sense for people to preserve and grow an asset like physical health. On the individual, societal and global levels, the study of wellness is a key to vitality and well-being, including reducing costs to society. “Pathology is important, but promoting good health and preventing illness make so much sense.”
Mrs. Lontz intended for her gift to support high school students with a passion for wellness disciplines, for example physical education or physical therapy. Her priority is supporting students who demonstrate hard work and passion, rather than those with the highest grades or natural abilities. Our prioirity remains to carry out her wishes to support the further education of high school seniors from the City of Fredericksburg or the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford. Priority will be given to students for whom financial need or other circumstances, for example a physical disability, create barriers to further education.
Each year, at least two $500 scholarships will be given to area graduating high school seniors.
To contribute to this fund, simply click Donate Now.
Donations may also be mailed to:
The Community Foundation
The Betty Booker Lontz Scholarship Fund
PO Box 208, Fredericksburg, VA 22404-0208
Please make your check payable to:
The Betty Booker Lontz Scholarship Fund
About Scholarship Funds
Donors help area students achieve their dreams by establishing or contributing to a scholarship fund at The Community Foundation. Scholarship funds are flexible and can be structured to benefit students at any education level, or for a specific institution. Donors often use scholarship funds to honor or memorialize a loved one.
Donors maintain an active voice in the student selection process while they rely upon The Community Foundation’s Scholarship Committee to handle the necessary paperwork and ensure that scholarships are distributed equitably.
Let us help you create the fund that works best for your charitable giving goals!
Apply for a Scholarship
The online application portal will walk students through our application process.
- Students submit general information such as address and high school, as well as information about extracurricular activities or awards.
- Students use the online application to provide the name and email address of their guidance counselor and other individuals. These contacts will receive an email requesting the student’s high school transcript or a personal reference.
Call 540 373-9292 or e-mail scholarships@cfrrr.org for more information.