Lee West’s life might have been short, but the exuberance he displayed during the limited time he was on Earth has not been forgotten.

An honors student and multi-sport athlete at Steubenville High School, West was just 15 when he lost his life in a fatal house fire in 2011.

Since then, his mother, Alexandra “Cookie” West, has been joined by friends and family members to keep his memory alive while doing things in the community that meant a lot to her son through the Lee Alexander West Spiritual Movement.

His legacy of loving and helping others was again celebrated on Jan. 31 during the annual awards ceremony held at the JeffCo Event Center.

In addition to celebrating his life, the evening presented a chance to recognize those who are making a difference in our community.

Teacher Impact Awards were presented to Kathi Celestin and Jason Kovalski of the Buckeye Local School District; Lynda Glenn of the Toronto City School District; Ron Salvino and Rick Hicks of the Steubenville City School District; Alexis Leonard of Steubenville Catholic Schools; and Heather Grimes of the Edison Local School District.

Renee Thompson was the recipient of the Village Impact Award, the Tiltonsville Volunteer Fire Department was the recipient of the Heart Award, which was accepted by Chief Michael Lollini.

Helping others and giving back to the community were important components of Lee West’s life. And, while Cookie West mourns the loss of her son every day, she has worked to remember him in a positive way by holding numerous events through the events, including the annual recognition ceremony, community birthday parties at Belleview Park and family basketball games at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center.

Events such as these ensure Lee West’s spirit will not be forgotten, and help to put the spotlight on things that are good about our community.