St. Lucy’s Auxiliary to the Blind Medallion Awards were conferred on several girls at an event last month that resembled an old-fashioned debutante ball, and Butler County was ably represented by a high achiever from Slippery Rock Area High School.

Meghan Bencic, the daughter of Mike and Laura Bencic, of Slippery Rock, received her Joan of Arc Medallion on Nov. 24 at the 60th annual Medallion Ball at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown.

The mission of St. Lucy’s Auxiliary is to encourage and inspire a lifetime commitment of volunteer service in young women.

St. Lucy is the patron saint of the blind and those with eye issues, which was the catalyst for Bencic’s participation in the program.

Laura Bencic’s sister is visually impaired, so Meghan became involved through her mother’s work with the organization.

“She joined St. Lucy because of the amazing things they do for the visually impaired,” Meghan said.

Meghan’s family members who had received a medallion at the ball in years past described the event to Meghan, which awards eighth-grade and senior girls for their charitable work in the community.

“(My mom) thought it would be amazing for me to enter into that as well,” Meghan said of the ball.

The process to participate in the ball is not to be taken lightly, as several pre-ball events, including an application, a tea, rehearsals and special dress requirements, are all a part of the journey.

Meghan explained that girls who are accepted must purchase a snow-white, floor-length gown that is approved by St. Lucy’s Auxiliary and carry identical bouquets of white flowers.

Girls must wear long white gloves, but their accessories and shoes can be of their choice.

Male escorts can be chosen by the medallion recipient or designated by St. Lucy’s Auxiliary.

The escorts are required to don white tie and tails for the event and follow strict requirements as they escort and dance with their female counterparts.

Meghan explained that the girls and their escorts wait in an ante room until their names are called by the mistress of ceremonies.

The names of the candidates’ parents, the escort, and his parents’ names also are announced.

The candidate then walks across the stage to receive her medallion from the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. On this occasion, the Most Rev. William Waltersheid, auxiliary bishop, handed the medals to the candidates, Meghan said.

“We say ‘thank you’ and he congratulates us on our achievement for our service,” she said.

A member of the St. Lucy organization then places the medallion around the candidate’s neck, the candidate rejoins her waiting escort and the two walk the length of the large ballroom.

“Then we get pictures and curtsy to the guests in attendance,” Meghan said.

After a group waltz that saw all the candidates and their escorts dancing in unison to the strains of the Rick Purcell Orchestra, a sumptuous dinner and evening of dancing ensued.

“It was kind of a surreal moment after almost four years of volunteering and meeting the 150-hour requirement,” Meghan said of the formal presentation of herself and her fellow candidates at the ball. “It was almost magical, I guess. It had that sort of atmosphere.”

She said the candidates attended a tea with the bishop as well as two rehearsals with their escorts in the days and weeks before the ball.

Meghan’s escort was David Schratz, who was chosen for her by the St. Lucy Auxiliary.

“Once you get the hang of it, it was a lot of fun,” she said of learning to curtsy and waltz. “It was a unique experience I wouldn’t have otherwise had.”

Meghan said she would do it all again if given the opportunity.

“It was a lot of hard work, but in the end, it was all worth it, because I learned so much about who I am as a person as well as where there are needs in my community,” she said.

Asked how the program benefited her, Meghan said it broadened her horizons.

“I have a lot more confidence in who I am and how much I’m able to do for others,” she said.

Meghan’s parents and other family members attended the ball, and all proceeds from the event benefit St. Lucy’s programs for the blind and visually impaired.

“I just don’t know if words can do it justice,” Laura Bencic said of experiencing her daughter’s presentation at the Medallion Ball.

Coincidentally, she said, the photographer and orchestra hired for the ball were the ones that took pictures and played at her wedding to Meghan’s father.

“Next to our wedding, this is the most beautiful event we have gotten to attend,” Laura said.

To qualify for the St. Lucy Auxiliary program, Meghan first performed volunteer work at Feeding America in Mercer County, where she helped with drive-by food distributions.

“That was a really great opportunity because it was over COVID, and a lot of people were in need of food assistance,” Meghan said.

In April 2021, she began volunteering at Storm Harbor Equestrian Center at Slippery Rock University, which is open to the public in the summer for kids’ day camps and other events.

“I loved working with the horses because they have a special temperament to be therapy horses,” Meghan said.

She worked in the barn and helped with riding lessons and group equine therapy sessions for veterans, the visually impaired, and others.

“It was an amazing opportunity to work with all the people with the organization and those coming to take lessons as well,” Meghan said.

While Meghan shies away from tooting her own horn, Laura said the Slippery Rock High senior is president of student council and Kids Who Care, captain of the dance line in marching band, a four-year varsity cheerleader, and was a dancer and student choreographer in last year’s school musical.

“She always made her volunteering a priority,” Laura said.

She said Meghan also has been offered a full academic scholarship to the University of Kentucky, but has not yet formally accepted or chosen a major.

“She is entertaining a recreational therapy or occupational therapy degree,” Laura said. “We’re just so proud of her and all her accomplishments.”