Randy Royer led a full, rich life. It was the kind of life worthy of a foundation and a scholarship.

"He was always upbeat and outgoing," said Denise Bender, who serves as a board member on the Randy Royer Memorial Foundation. "If you talked to him every day he would say, 'Living the dream.' At work, he got along with contractors and builders. He got things done. He was willing to help anyone."

The deadline to apply for this year's edition of the Randy Royer Memorial Foundation scholarship is quickly approaching. Scholarship applications, which can be accessed at http://www.amesconstructioninc.com/giving-back, must be received by Friday, June 1.

The scholarships are designed for seniors from Ephrata, Cocalico, Warwick and Garden Spot high schools who are interested in the construction or building field or the automotive industry, and who will be attending a postsecondary institution in the fall of 2026. Included in the application is an essay portion.

A graduate of Ephrata High School who was raised in Akron, Royer was a project manager at Ames Construction for 27 years before his sudden passing in October of 2016.

"We've had a wide variety of recipients," said Bender. "In the first year, an Ephrata student Randy had coached in youth soccer received it. Last year, one of the students who received it was going overseas to go to school. We ask the applicants what made them passionate to go into the field."

After applications are received, they are reviewed to ensure requirements have been met. Then the members of the Randy Royer Memorial Foundation board meet and apply a rubrics system to determine the recipients of one-time scholarships between $1,000 and $5,000.

Last year, the Randy Royer Memorial Foundation awarded eight scholarships to local high school seniors.

"A $5,000 scholarship for a school like Thaddeus Stevens is a good amount," said Bender, a resident of Ephrata.

The scholarship is funded through the Randy Royer Memorial Foundation's annual golf outing, titled "Living the Dream." This year, the fundraising event will be conducted at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24, at Iron Valley Golf Club in Cornwall.

"We want to give away money," said Bender. "We do very well when we do our golf tournament because we have very generous donors. We want people to know about the scholarships."

The Randy Royer Memorial Foundation and its scholarship were established not long after Royer's passing. Over the last nine years, the foundation has awarded a total of $93,000 in scholarships to more than 21 local students.

The board that oversees the Randy Royer Memorial Foundation is made up of some of Royer's family members and friends.

"I think it's going very well," said Bender.