A’ROR’N Days brings honorees together for event
Friday was a special night for Aurora educators named winners of the William and Delight Eloe Award as they were able to meet and spend time with members of the Eloe family, sharing their passion for education.
Haley Sigler, this year’s recipient, said she was honored and humbled to make that connection.
“Being able to meet with Mr. Howard Eloe and the Eloe family that traveled from different parts of the country was truly an honor,” Sigler said. “The legacy that they have continued for William and Delight Eloe is an inspiration to our community and school district. It was evident that the City of Aurora as well as Aurora Public Schools have a special place in their hearts.
“I would like to extend my gratitude to the family, my fellow co-workers and my students,” Sigler continued. “I am humbled to be in the company of such amazing educators.”
Laurie Anderson, the 2018 Eloe Award recipient, thanked Howard and other members of the family during an event at the Hamilton Community Foundation.
“This meant the world to me and I’m so grateful that I’ve been part of meeting you and the family, getting to know you,” she said with comments directed toward Howard. “So thank you. It’s great to be Husky and I am just so thankful for you and your appreciation of teachers. That just means the world to all of us who are here.”
Lori Thiele, outreach coordinator at Hamilton Community Foundation, introduced Sigler as this year’s recipient of the William and Delight Eloe Award for Inspirational Academic Leadership during A’ROR’N Days activities later that evening.
Howard Eloe, son of William and Delight, returns with his children each year to meet the recipient during A’ROR’N Days.
“The family of William and Delight started this scholarship because of their parent’s positions in Aurora Public Schools and because of how instrumental the school was in supporting their family while Bill was sick and after he passed,” Thiele explained.
Bill Eloe and Delight married in 1913 and had five children. The family came to Aurora in 1917, where Bill worked as YMCA director,
coached football, basketball, and track.
He helped Aurora earn its first state basketball championship in 1920 and coached football and track to win state titles as well.
Eloe was a founding member of the Aurora Rotary Club. He contracted encephalitis and resigned from the district in 1927 as the illness progressed.
Delight started teaching third and fourth grade at South Elementary in 1928 after Bill was confined home to support their family. During that time, Delight cared for Bill, raised five children, and maintained her community and church leadership activities. After 30 years, Delight retired as principal of West Elementary in 1958.
As this year’s honoree, Sigler has been with Aurora Public Schools since 2010 and is a Title I Teacher at the elementary school. She helps develop academic and behavior plans, coordinates summer reading camps, enters academic data, works with administration on Title Reading Audit, and is a valuable member of the RIP Leadership Team that reviews academic and behavior plans.