HRC Ed Foundation gives record-breaking $388,000 in scholarships

Of the 121 HRVHS students who applied for Education Foundation scholarships, 60 received scholarships. HRCEF scholarships often give preference for students from lower-income families; in the 2024 class, 46% of the scholarship selectees were eligible for free school meals. Seven seniors received more than $20,000 each from HRCEF scholarships.

All of the HRCEF scholarships are funded by donations, some from agencies or businesses, such as Mike’s Ice Cream, Providence Hospital and Wacoma Bookstore, or memorial scholarships honoring specific persons. Some scholarships that are primarily funded by community donors include AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), the Butch Gehrig scholarship, Cascade Locks Alumni Association & CLAA College, Duckwall Pooley Sons & Daughters, Parkdale Elementary Alumni/PTO, and the Ted Webber Scholarship.

“The people of Hood River County are very generous in their support of our young people and that allows the Ed Foundation to do our good work,” said HRCEF President Sue Hukari.

HRCEF fundraising events also provide a large amount of scholarship funds. “Our long-term goal is to provide scholarships to all of the qualified students who apply,” said Fundraising Chair Mike Schend.

Fundraisers like the sellout concerts of Pink Martini and Dionne Warwick in the historic Hood River Middle School auditorium have made that goal imaginable.

Many other scholarships are awarded to HRVHS graduates by other local associations and businesses, and HRCEF supports those donors by including them in the Kaleidoscope computer program, which allows students to list their qualifications and post-secondary choices, which the program then matches to requirements for various scholarships. One scholarship required the applicant to have lived in Odell, and also be heading to OSU to study STEM. That was easier to find with a computer program.

The Hood River County Education Foundation is a nonprofit 501c3 and is independent from the Hood River County School District. If you are interested in starting a scholarship, or donating to the HRCEF Scholarship Fund, go to hrcef.org/contribute.