COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANTS RECORD NUMBER OF SCHOLARSHIPS

(Sarasota – June 1, 2006)  The Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County announces a record breaking total for the both the number of scholarships and the dollar amount awarded for the fiscal year just ending, which runs from June 1, 2005 to May 31, 2006.

A total of 413 scholarships valued at $834,353 were awarded to traditional students in Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte Counties-those graduating high school seniors who are going directly onto college-and adult learners-adults resuming their education or career training after being out in the workforce since high school.

There are currently 44 scholarship funds within the Community Foundation. Individuals and organizations create these funds in memory of loved ones or to encourage young people pursuing a particular field of study to be successful in their dreams of higher education. Each scholarship fund is unique and has different guidelines and eligibility requirements. Most are awarded on the basis of financial need, academic excellence and commitment to community and school.  Since 1987, the Community Foundation has awarded $4.33 million in scholarships.

Emily and Roland Abraham were a devoted couple who loved sports and outdoor activities. They met in 1953 on a bicycle trip and over the years, enjoyed many adventures together - cycling, camping, swimming, playing tennis and walking the trails of Oscar Scherer State Park.

When Emily died in 1991, Roland wanted to keep her memory alive and decided to help young people fulfill their dreams of getting a college education. He founded the Abraham Educational Fund in Memory of Emily Abraham, which to date has provided 596 scholarships totaling $928,897.00 to high school seniors in Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte Counties.

Native New Yorkers, Emily and Roland had no children of their own and went into the work force without the advantages of a college education due to the Great Depression. Emily had a career in the Probation Department of the Queens Supreme Court as a transcriber. Roland had one year at City College of New York and eventually worked in the art department of a large company specializing in commercial displays.

It was Emily's mother whose shrewd investments provided the nest egg that the frugal Abrahams tended with great care. Emily's legacy lives on in Roland's heart, and in the hundreds of appreciative students who will achieve higher education because of his vision and generosity.