WENATCHEE, Wash. – Stemilt Growers is teaming up with a Wenatchee educational initiative to help fund a college scholarship for a graduating high school student.
Beginning this Saturday, Stemilt will donate $1 for every new "Like" on Wenatchee Learns' Facebook page (www.facebook.com/WenatcheeLearns) up to a maximum of $1,500. The money will go to the Washington Apple Education Foundation, the charitable organization for the Washington tree fruit industry, which will then review applicants and announce a scholarship recipient in mid-May.
“Education is the foundation for the future success and advancement of the Wenatchee Valley," said Courtney Mathison, chair of Stemilt's Corporate Responsibility Committee. "As a large employer in the community, Stemilt values education and is proud to support a 2012 Wenatchee graduate with a new scholarship through the Washington Apple Education Foundation. We encourage everyone to join the Wenatchee Learns cause in order to design the future of learning in Wenatchee, as well as help send a future graduate of our community to college.”
The $1,500 Wenatchee Learns scholarships joins Stemilt’s existing scholarship program through WAEF, totaling more than $15,000. WAEF and Stemilt award annual scholarships to children of Stemilt employees, a student pursuing an accounting degree, and a student meeting the criteria for the Thomas K. Mathison Memorial scholarship, which is in memory of the company’s late founder and tree fruit pioneer.
Those eligible for the Wenatchee Learns scholarship funds are 2012 graduates of Wenatchee High School and WestSide High School as well as any private and home-school students in Wenatchee who are graduating this year. The $1,500 scholarship may be used at any accredited trade school or two- or four-year college or university.
"An investment in local learning is an investment in our whole community, and this scholarship gift is a shining example of what is possible when our community values and supports learning," said Wenatchee School District superintendent Brian Flones, who launched the Wenatchee Learns educational initiative last year. "I want to commend Stemilt and the Mathison family for their generosity, and thank them for helping to raise awareness of Wenatchee Learns through this Facebook campaign. While this Washington Apple Education Foundation scholarship will make a profound difference for a single student, it represents much more. Our community's combined efforts to create world-class local learning will touch all of us in Wenatchee."
Wenatchee Learns is designed to shape the future delivery and framework of education in the Wenatchee School District by involving citizens, students, and educators in the planning process. For the past several months, Wenatchee Learns has been engaging and soliciting feedback from the community and promoting the concept of citizen involvement in education.
The Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) is the charity of Washington's tree fruit industry. It is best known for its scholarship program. WAEF expects to award 175 scholarships this spring to college students connected to Washington's apple, cherry and pear industry. In addition to scholarships, WAEF awards grant funding to schools and organizations assisting families employed in the tree fruit industry achieve scholastic success. Funding for Foundation programs is provided through voluntary donations from tree fruit industry employers, suppliers and others. More information can be found at www.waef.org.
About Stemilt
Stemilt Growers is a leading tree fruit growing, packing and shipping company based in Wenatchee, Washington. Owned and operated by the Mathison family, Stemilt is the largest supplier of sweet cherries in the nation and a key supplier of Washington-grown apples, pears, stone fruit, and organics. Stemilt has also demonstrated a commitment to sustainable agriculture and social responsibility since 1989, when founder Tom Mathison launched the company’s Responsible Choice program. Join Stemilt on Facebook at www.facebook.com/stemilt.
Source: Stemilt Growers