In 1994, the American Legion Baseball Committee changed the Annual Merit Award to honor the memory of Dwight Church.  After devoting his life to the development of young adults in the Lewiston/Clarkston area, Dwight passed away during the 1994 Legion Baseball season.

This award has been given annually since 1961 to a participating player of the Lewis Clark American Legion baseball program.  The award is given to an individual who has participated in the Lewis Clark American Legion program that same year. This award is voted upon by the players of the Twins program and is presented at the annual awards banquet.

This award is given to a member of the Twins baseball team who best exemplifies Dwight’s philosophy of Lewis Clark American Legion Baseball and presents themselves in a sportsmanship manner both on and off the field.  Other qualities that are considered for selection of this award are: involvement in off the field activities, leadership ability both on and off the field, and willingness to give of themselves and time toward helping themselves and others.

This individual also needs to have a recognizable respect shown for his coaches, umpires, teammates, opposing players and fans, as well as his or her adherence to the Legion Code of Conduct.

The 2016 Dwight Church Merit Award went to Logan Chase.