WILDWOOD — Six local students were the recipients of $9,000 in scholarship money when the Wildwood Fire Company No. 1 presented each of the high school graduates with $1,500 to be used after their first semester in college.

Receiving awards were Katie Tirotta and Matthew Devlin, graduates of Wildwood Catholic High School, Kirby Elizabeth Thorton and Justin Fritz, graduates of Wildwood High School and Danielle D’Amico and Richard Ziegler, graduates of Cape May County Technical High School.

The scholarship program marked its 18th year. The scholarships are presented in memory of Lt. Joseph R. Walto, a firefighter who lost his life while battling the Ocean Pier fire on Christmas Day, 19