Island Community Church recently awarded $50,000 in college scholarships to deserving students in the Middle and Upper Keys. The scholarships are funded by proceeds of the 2021 Island Boat Show.
During the recent graduation events for Marathon and Coral Shores high schools, 27 high school seniors were announced as recipients of the Island Community Church Scholarship. In addition, 20 returning college students were awarded scholarships. The awards, ranging from $500 to $2,000, will help students in their pursuit of a college education in the upcoming academic year. Recipients are invited to apply for scholarships again next year.
This is the second of what Island Community Church envisions as an ongoing scholarship program funded by the Island Boat Show, which is the largest in-water boat show in the Keys. With more than 90 boats, exhibitor booths and a silent auction, the 2021 show at Hawks Cay was the sixth consecutive event, and the most successful.
“We were blessed by the financial success of this year’s boat show,” said Pastor Trevor Mann. “One hundred percent of the proceeds are used for local scholarships and global and local missions and ministries. We are honored to give back to the community by investing in the future of our youth through the Island Community Church Scholarship.”
Qualifying for the scholarship required a comprehensive application and a virtual interview with the scholarship review team. Island Community Church pastor emeritus and review team member Tony Hammon said it was a pleasure getting to know the candidates.
“All were so engaging and showed such promise. I wish we could have awarded even more,” Hammon said. “From what I can tell from our interviews, the future is in very capable hands.”
The church intends to offer the scholarships again in 2022 and will use the 2022 Island Boat Show, scheduled for Jan. 21-23, 2022 at Hawks Cay, as the primary source of funding.
Island Community Church offers a worship service at 10 a.m. every Sunday morning, in person at 83250 Overseas Hwy or online via Facebook or YouTube. More information is at www.islandcommunitychurch.org. More about the Island Boat Show is at www.islandboatshow.com.
