Washington Apple Education Foundation Awards $1 Million In Scholarships
May 5, 2016 The Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) announced reaching the milestone of awarding $1 million in a single year to college bound students raised in the fruit growing districts of Washington. The announcement was made at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA. The foundation holds its quarterly meetings at the campus.
“Five years ago we awarded just over $400,000 in scholarships. Each year since we’ve seen significant jumps in industry supported scholarships,” Rachel Sullivan, the foundation’s outgoing chairman said. Sullivan has served as the chairman of the foundation for the past year. She is the CEO of Crane & Crane, Inc. located in Brewster, WA.
“This is an important milestone for college-bound students from our region,” James Guadino, president of Central Washington University said. “We are impressed with the commitment WAEF makes to each of its scholarship recipients to not only provide them with financial support but also to walk side by side with them through their college experience and career entry.”
The WAEF was founded in 1994 to be the charity of the tree fruit industry. Its mission is to improve lives through access to educational opportunities. Last year 225 students shared in more than $850,000 in scholarships.
“The assistance of private scholarship funds is vital to college accessibility for thousands of Washington youth. The WAEF assists young people whose parents are employed in the tree fruit industry,” Gene Sharratt, executive director of the Washington Student Achievement Council said.
Sharratt helped with the organization of WAEF’s scholarship program 20 years ago. “Many of these parents work in labor positions to provide for the immediate needs of their families; the cost of college attendance is an expense greater than they can bear alone. Foundation donors should be commended for their efforts.”
The WAEF is funded through voluntary contributions made by growers, packers, suppliers, service providers, and others connected to the tree fruit industry. Donations to the scholarship program are made through annual giving and one-time endowment gifts. Additional funding for foundation operations is generated through annual events, including scholarship luncheons held during the summer months in its primary markets of Yakima and Wenatchee.
In total, the foundation manages more than 100 unique scholarship funds each with its own set of specific criteria but sharing a primary purpose of assisting young people raised in families connected to or employed in the tree fruit industry attend college.
Sharing in this year’s scholarship awards are more than 200 students. The majority are currently attending college and many have received WAEF scholarship awards for multiple years. The foundation estimates that three-quarters of this year’s scholarship recipients are first generation college students.
WAEF works in 45 school districts in the counties of Okanogan, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Yakima, Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla.