This year will be the 7th Colby Earles Memorial Scholarship in my son’s honor at South Portland High School. It gives me a chance to talk to the seniors about drug use and abuse. My sisters and I fund this each year, and I have wanted to do a fundraising event to help start an account to keep this scholarship going and maybe offer a larger award (currently $500) or more than one award each year. Starting a GoFundraiser account has been suggested to me several times, and I just couldn’t do it. My partner helped me see it is about Colby… His legacy and the kids who we are able to help. So if you would like to contribute, I would be grateful!
Colby’s scholarship goes to a student who has been raised by a single parent for part or all of their school years. They are asked to write a 500-word essay about the person that raised them and how that person helped them become who they are today. My two sisters and I read all of the essays and choose the recipient. I then retype it with the name of the person at the top and the child’s name at the bottom. I present this essay, framed, to the parent or guardian following the award being given to the recipient. I will tell you in the six years that I have done this so far, four of the parents had never seen the essay. What beautiful moments!
Thank you all for your consideration!
Organized by Cynthia Earles
South Portland, ME