Union Star Lodge Master Russ Cragg presents Rob Meehan with 2026 Ben Peer Citizenship Award. Sentinel Photo.
Rob Meehan of Mendon received the 2026 Union Star Lodge Ben Peer Citizenship Award during the 3rd Annual Union Star Gala on April 25. The award recognizes individuals who demonstrate long-term, practical philanthropy and civic leadership in the Mendon/Honeoye Falls community, inspired by the legacy of early 20th-century entrepreneur and philanthropist Benjamin Peer.
For more than 30 years, Meehan has been a tireless volunteer in youth sports across the region. He has served as President of the HF-L Cougars youth football and cheerleading program for 12 years (and as a coach for far longer), Vice President of the Finger Lakes Youth Football and Cheerleading League, and a board member and coach with HFL-Mendon Youth Baseball. He helps maintain fields, manages registrations, and personally ensures no child is denied participation due to financial hardship.
In addition to football and baseball, Meehan’s impact extends to lacrosse, basketball, soccer, and hockey. As President of the HFL Sports Booster Club, he directs funds back to student-athletes and has advocated for programs such as hockey. Professionally, as an architect, he has contributed his expertise to improvements at Mendon baseball fields and the high school Chow Hut. His dedication earned him the 2017 Willie W. Lightfoot Youth Advocate of the Year Award and induction into the HF-L Alumni Hall of Fame.
“Rob has built something lasting — not just programs, but generations of kids who grew up stronger, more confident, and more connected,” event organizers noted. Like Ben Peer, who used his talents to bring the community together through fundraising dances and civic initiatives, Meehan leads quietly from the fields and sidelines, strengthening the fabric of local youth sports.
