Community service is important enough to U.S. Reps. Mike Doyle and Conor Lamb that it brought the two Democrats into solidly Republican territory in Murrysville on Saturday afternoon.

“Hey, Conor, is this your district?” Doyle, D-Forest Hills, joked during the Murrysville Export Democratic Club’s first Biden-Harris Community Scholarship presentation, held at Townsend Park.

Franklin Regional seniors Keerthana Shriram ($500), Ian Sunny ($100) and Rachel Gau ($100) were the beneficiaries of the club’s inaugural scholarships.

It was funded through donations from Murrysville Export Democratic Club members, said scholarship committee chair Margaret Ryan. “It’s funded for four years, and we’re hoping we can keep it funded.”

Shriram plays several musical instruments and serves as a drum major in the Franklin Regional Panther Marching Band.

She is also part of the band Sahana, which performs charity concerts. It has raised money for the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, the Association for India’s Development, Pittsburgh Fisher House, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and others.

Sunny is an Eagle Scout and has done service work with local food pantries and Meals on Wheels.

Gau has done a good deal of community service work through her membership in Franklin Regional’s National Honor Society, is a regular participant in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and has used her talents on violin and her fluency in French to assist with a number of cultural events in the Pittsburgh area.

Club president Michelle Milan-McFall said the group started planning for the scholarships in February.

“It’s what we value,” she said. “We care about education, service and leaving things better than when you found them. And we want people to know we’re here in the community, and a great way to do that is supporting things like this.”

Ryan said the club’s scholarship committee will meet in the near future to discuss ways to fund-raise and keep the scholarships going beyond their first four years.

Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher introduced Doyle and Lamb, D-Mt. Lebanon. She said she was excited that “we can recognize and celebrate young people making a difference in their hometowns.”

Doyle echoed her sentiments.

“Empathy and citizenship is extremely important is helping young people develop,” he said. “Community service allows young people to see the results of their work.”

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