Fairhaven Siblings Win Prestigious Military Child Awards

Two Fairhaven High School students, Keegan Fike and Emma Fike have won awards from the US Coast Guard and the town of Fairhaven.

Keegan Fike won the award of Military Child of the Year for the United States Coast Guard. The Operation Homefront has awarded him $10,000, a laptop and they are sending our family to Washington DC on April 13th for a stay at the Ritz Carlton and having a Gala in his honor. This is a very distinguished award that is given to six students in the United States, one for each branch of the military.

Keegan, 17, is a senior at Fairhaven High School and has been active in Boy Scouts with his work ranging from organizing food drives to mentoring Cub Scouts and junior Boy Scouts as an assistant scoutmaster, and  leading sessions on fire safety, flag etiquette and other instruction. Town of Fairhaven officials thanked him for leading an Eagle Scout project that restored five weather-beaten and rusted cannons at Fort Phoenix. He has also received an excellence award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Boston/New England for his high school media production titled "My Hero Is..."

Keegan and his sister Emma will also will be receiving an award for outstanding community service given to them by the Fairhaven Improvement Association at the Wamsutta Club on April 12th.

Emma, 15, is a  Fairhaven High school and has participated in several weekends at Shephard's Pantry, and many church functions at St. Mary's Parish in Fairhaven. Emma also beautified the center of Fairhaven during Christmas by decorating flower boxes and the steps of the town hall with winter greens for the season. Emma is in the drama club at Fairhaven High and serves as the Freshman class advisor.

The siblings father has been deployed a cumulative 125 months and the family has experienced six permanent change of station moves.

Additional Reporting by Kiah Heron