From the football field to the classroom

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This article was published 28/09/2015 (3981 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For some students, a scholarship is the best gift that they can receive.

Many children grow up knowing that when the time comes, their families won’t be able to afford college or university.

Lack of funds can be a huge deterrent for young people, which is the reason Don Woodstock, Kathy Harris and Ron Mark have organized the first annual Educational Scholarship Fundraising Gala.

Hosted at the Clarion Hotel (1445 Portage Ave.) on Oct. 1, the event’s organizers hope to raise $100,000 to put towards scholarships for the city’s youth.

“If kids are not worried about university, they’ll more likely go on,” Woodstock, who is currently running for federal office in Winnipeg Centre for the Green Party, said. “But if they’re concerned, it takes away from the zeal and the zest to want to go on.”

The black-tie event will include dinner and entertainment for guests, as well as $1,000 of scholarships to be given to four applicants. The only requirement to receive a scholarship is for youths to attend the football clinic, run by Woodstock and Troy Westwood, and to submit a 200-word essay on why they feel they want to go to school.

“Even the 30-plus kids that sent in their submission, it’s priceless that they submitted their letter,” Woodstock said. “They still have in their minds why it’s important for them, so they’re all winners. That was something that was passed on to me. You can talk about something all you want, you want something, write it, because now it’s in your mind consciously.”

Woodstock said although the $100,000 likely won’t be raised in one night, it will be a large part of reaching their goal. All of the money raised will go directly into the Winnipeg Foundation, where it will wait for recipients until they are ready to enrol into university.

The only criteria for receiving a scholarship is participation in the football clinic and completion of the essay — an unusually accessible scholarship. However, like the football clinic, the program is intended to help inner-city youths and families first and foremost.

“The perception of a child in the inner city versus a child in the south is miles apart, and if you take that child and switch the roles, they’ll have culture shock,” Woodstock said. “Here we are talking about a city, and it’s just a few kilometres that separate them, it’s not like Jamaica and Canada.”

Tickets are $150 per person or $1,000 for a table. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Kathy Harris at 204-688-6147 or Ron Mark at 204-219-4442.

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