Decatur High alumni reunion aims to boost scholarships – Decatur Daily
Hammond
Hammond
Hoping to raise money for scholarships while enjoying a night of fun, Decatur High School alumni and friends are planning a combined class reunion and fundraiser that will feature 30 classes from the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s.
The event, part of a concerted effort starting in 2007 to give scholarships and collect endowed scholarship funds, is set for 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 4 at Ingalls Harbor Pavilion, 802-A Wilson St. N.W., in Decatur.
A live band, The Tyn Tymes, will provide beach music. The evening also will include a cash bar, food trucks, casual dress and no RSVPs required. Admission is $30 per person or $50 per couple. Cash, checks, debit and credit cards will be accepted. All proceeds benefit the DHS alumni scholarship fund.
Those unable to attend can still contribute directly to the scholarship balance of their class.
“The purpose (of the event) is to gather and share memories but also to raise money for our alumni scholarship program,” said Shirley Eaken Hammond, DHS Class of 1968. She encouraged graduates to spread the word through email and social media.
“We are planning a fun event with a purpose,” Hammond said.
That purpose is to help students, and donors can see the results firsthand.
“They get to see our seniors have an opportunity that they might not otherwise have,” Hammond said of donors. “When you see how excited these students are and what their potential is and then see them several years later come back with those degrees and give you a hug, that’s all you need.”
Most scholarships are $2,000 or more, Hammond said, aimed at helping with the rising cost of higher education and career training.
She said when they interview these students in the spring right before graduation, each representative of every class giving a scholarship participates.
“These students are amazing. They have all of this momentum to want to make this happen. Some may be the first in their family to go to college,” Hammond said.
Decatur High has a total of 75 graduating classes, plus alumni from Riverside High School before that, Hammond said.
“Our big-picture goal is wouldn’t it be incredible if we had a scholarship given by each graduating class, at least one scholarship, and what that could do for our graduating class,” Hammond said. “Because not everybody gets one right now. We have more applicants than we can give. To be able to give to anybody who wants it and who can show they are determined to use it, that is our goal.”
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Endowed scholarships
Another priority is to secure an endowed scholarship for each class. That means raising at least $50,000 so the interest alone provides a minimum $2,000 scholarship annually. Six classes already have endowed scholarship funds, including one that has surpassed $100,000.
“The fund (and the scholarships it generates) will be there long after we are gone,” Hammond said.
The DHS alumni scholarship program began in 2007, when the Class of 1967 celebrated its 40th reunion. With a leftover balance of $404, the class decided to start a scholarship. Contributions quickly grew to more than $2,000, and the first scholarship was awarded the following spring. The model has since been adopted by additional classes.
Since 2008, DHS alumni have raised $634,299 through combined accounts and endowments, records show. A total of $222,664 has been awarded for 105 scholarships.
Bill McAllister, Class of 1968, said the impact is clear.
“The thing that impresses me is I’ve been able to come to the interviews sometimes and I’ve seen that the face of Decatur has changed,” said Bill McAllister, Class of 1968. “I grew up in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and when I heard kids say ‘I am the first kid in my family to ever go beyond high school,’ I thought, really? Because I was handed everything, college — I never had to want for anything. So, that just tore me up. So, even though these aren’t giant scholarships, it’s the idea that people are grateful.”
Many recipients face hardships.
“They let down their guard and get emotional, and some of them have rough backgrounds,” McAllister said. “Some of them work two jobs. My gosh, and they just want to get ahead. The gumption. That’s what impressed me.”
McAllister credited Hammond with spearheading the scholarship fund drive and noted the generosity of Tim Taylor, Class of 1961, who has sponsored previous reunion parties and is covering major costs for this year’s event so that all proceeds go to scholarships.
“He’s the driver, and we have other people who are footing the bills for decorations, receipts, signage just so all of the money could go to the scholarship fund. It’s exciting and it’s fun,” McAllister said.
— jean.cole@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2361
Hammond
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