Founders Scholarship Fund, a Naples-based non-profit organization with a sole mission to grant scholarships to Collier County students in pursuit of a higher education, is proud to announce the results of the 2024 Ed Brennan Memorial Banquet and Golf Tournament.
Held at Club Pelican Bay on April 8 and 9, the two-day event raised $1.2 million thanks to the generosity of Club Pelican Bay members, donors, and corporate sponsors who supported the mission to award college scholarships to deserving students in financial need.
Over 250 guests were in attendance for a banquet prepared by Chef Joe. In addition, an auction was held that included packages such as an exclusive golf excursion, a food and wine experience in Bordeaux, a private villa in Tuscany, a European river voyage, and more. A video featuring current scholarship recipients helped motivate guests to lift their paddles high and donate $686,000 during the ‘fund-a-need’ portion of the event auction.
This fundraising event is the only one for the non-profit and is only held every other year. Sponsors helping to make this year’s event a success were Club Pelican Bay, Brennan Family Foundation, FineMark National Bank & Trust, Preferred Travel & Company, D. Garrett Construction, Inc., Genesis of Naples, M Design Studio, Northern Trust, and Premier Sotheby’s International Realty – Jane Darling and Melinda Gunther.
“The overwhelming generosity of the members of Club Pelican Bay is truly amazing,” says Patricia Chadwick, Founders Scholarship Fund board chair. “We have so many amazing students currently receiving scholarships and the money raised from this event will allow us to continue our mission and provide even more scholarships. We give hope for a better future to our scholars.”
Each spring, approximately 25 to 35 graduating students from Collier County High Schools receive scholarships based on their GPA and financial need. Each student is awarded a $24,000 scholarship to be disbursed at $6000 per year for four years. The renewable, non-restricted scholarship is based on the student maintaining a “B” grade average and may be used for tuition, books, lab fees, housing, food, and other college-related expenses. Currently, 110 students receive annual scholarships from the Fund. Since its inception, over $6.5 million in scholarships have been awarded to over 825 Collier County students.
The Founders Fund, Inc. (Founders Scholarship Fund) was founded in 1991 by Club Pelican Bay golf members. With the success of the recent event, more Collier County students will be receiving scholarships this coming year.
For more information about scholarships, sponsorships, or becoming a part of the organization, call 239-593-0124 or visit www.TheFoundersFundInc.org.