The Columbia County Foundation for Children celebrated its 30th anniversary on May 17 with a banquet reception and gave out scholarships and awards totaling $59,000 to deserving graduates.
Sixteen graduating students from all over the county won the Barbara C. Beasley Memorial Scholarship and a further 48 students were awarded CCFC Career, Technical and Agricultural Grants.
Presenter Jennie Montgomery, of WJBF News Channel 6, remarked that on the 30th anniversary, the group’s recognition of 48 students with the grant is a “significant increase” over past years.
Winners of the Barbara C. Beazley Scholarships are awarded at different monetary levels and the CTA grant recipients receive a check for $625 each, according to CCFC President Dorothy Brandon.
“It really warms the heart to see these kids put in 12 years of studying and to be able to celebrate with them at the end and see them get a little extra blessing to start on their future,” Brandon said.
The foundation also gave the Motivational Mentorship Award to Grovetown High School guidance counselor Rhonda Marschalk, and that award also came with a $500 grant to the school.
“I’m really shocked, I am excited for the kids, I’m kind of speechless,” Marschalk said.
The CCFC is a private organization that gets its funding from donations and the proceeds from its Helping Hands Thrift Store, located at 6347 Columbia Road in Appling.
Besides the grants and scholarships, the CCFC has an annual Christmas program, summer camps, a book program and a “pantry” program that delivers toiletries to schools which are then given to needy students.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
