With Westport Fair just a few weeks away, organizers, family, honor Westport man killed in Tiverton motorcycle crash with scholarship in his memory

With the Westport Fair just weeks away, organizers have announced the 4 students receiving a scholarship in memory of a local man.

The Michael C. Lees II Memorial Scholarship, awarded by the Lees Family and the Westport Fair, honors the memory of Michael C. Lees II, who grew up in Westport and graduated from Diman Regional Vocational High School. Michael went on to join the Operators Union and later opened his own business, exemplifying the values of hard work, determination, and kindness.

This year’s recipients were selected based on essays that reflected the character and qualities Michael embodied throughout his life.

The winners are Tyler J. Hathaway, Abigail Krzyszton, Mya Sky Madeira, and Evan Nickelson.

On Sunday June 2nd, 2024, the 27-year-old Lees was killed in a motorcycle crash on Route 24 northbound in Tiverton after suffering a serious head injury.

Those who knew Lees, and there were many, described him as a hardworking man who was generous and an all-around great guy. Lees was also owner of Lees Landscaping & Excavation.

The annual fair held at 200 Pine Hill Road in Westport will take place from Wednesday July 15th to Sunday July 19th.

The Fair typically features a carnival, farm tractor pulls, garden tractor pulls, horseshoe and corn hole tournaments, food vendors, an animal tent, craft vendors, entertainment, a car show, touch a truck and the annual chicken BBQ.