Each May, the Rotary Club of Greenwood/White River sponsor a golf outing to provide scholarships for local, college-bound students. Eligible students are from Greenwood, Whiteland, and Center Grove. Dye’s Walk will host this year’s Rotary Scholarship Golf Outing on May 23, 2013. The event kicks off with a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m.
Since 1988, Greenwood Rotarians have been raising money through club meetings, donations, and an annual golf outing to provide these scholarships for area students. Each student receives $1,000/year for four years.
“The program started with a 50/50 drawing each week at the local Rotary meeting,” said Jim Oxley, one of the Rotarians who helped get the program off the ground. “The initial amount was $250/year for four years. Then one year there were three very well-qualified applicants, so they divided the money three ways, netting each student $83/year. That’s when we decided we had to do more,” Jim said, and the golf outing was added.
Since that small start in 1988, many changes have occurred. Lilly Endowment, Inc. provided matching grants that turned $25,000 of club money into $50,000. The Johnson County Community Foundation manages that money. The White River Rotary Club was organized and became the second club in the Greenwood and Center Grove communities. Both clubs now organize and support the May golf outing. Last year, a little over $14,000 was raised. That amount was split between the two clubs. All proceeds go to the scholarship fund, and all money is spent and/or committed to student scholarships.
“The stories of the kids we have helped are truly touching,” said David Edds, Superintendent of Greenwood Community Schools and chairperson of the scholarship selection committee for the Greenwood Club. “Our goal is to make the college dream a little more attainable with our funding,” said Edds. The Greenwood Rotary Club provides scholarships for Greenwood High School and Whiteland High School. The White River Rotary Club funds the scholarships for Center Grove High School. David Edds has announced that this year, the Greenwood Rotary will add Vocational Scholarships that will be available to students from Greenwood and Whiteland. Applications are now available in Greenwood, Center Grove, and Whiteland High Schools.
For information to sponsor or play in the golf outing, call Lyle Pettigrew, 317-514-7124, or Jeff Tillman, 317-422-9930.
