Pucketos Garden Club of New Kensington will award a scholarship for the 15th year in a row to a college student studying environmental sciences.
It’s selling tickets now for its August fundraiser luncheon to help fund the $1,000 scholarship.
Betsy Shelhamer, the club’s president, said the scholarship is intended to promote environmental education and protection. There’s no stipulation on how students spend it as long as it is supports their education.
“It’s not based on financial need, it’s based on the student’s motivation to be in the particular science,” Shelhamer said. “We know $1,000 isn’t a lot today, but that could buy somebody’s wardrobe for college or a couple of books.”
She did say students should have a decent grade-point average to be considered, but that it does not have to be a 4.0.
The fundraiser luncheon will be Aug. 7 at Veltre’s Wedding and Event Centre in Plum.
Doors open at 10:30 a.m., but lunch is served at noon.
There will also be 26 raffle baskets, a 50/50 raffle, a bake sale at the event and a door raffle, which people will be entered into when they arrive.
Some baskets are donated by businesses or organizations, including The Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania and Valos Chocolates.
Tickets for the luncheon cost $45 and can be purchased over the phone at 412-849-1353 until July 27.
Raffles and other sales made at the event also help to fund the scholarship, which is awarded to a student at a later date.
Students can apply for the scholarship through Aug. 31 by contacting Shelhamer at 724-980-9413.
The garden club maintains several gardens across New Kensington, including a library garden at People’s Library that has fresh herbs, their Pink Garden on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Eighth Street, and a Veterans Garden in Parnassus.
The club includes women from across the Alle-Kiski Valley, not just New Kensington, said member Martha Mary Sproul.
“We’re just a club of 30 members … which I think is phenomenal,” Sproul said.
Shelhamer said the scholarship aligns with the club’s core mission.
“Before every meeting … we do a garden prayer and we promise to help protect nature, the earth, the air, whatever we can,” Shelhamer said.
If you go
Who: Pucketos Garden Club
What: Fundraiser luncheon
Where: Veltre’s Wedding and Event Centre, 321 Coxcomb Hill Road, Plum
When: Aug. 7, 10:30 a.m.
Details: Tickets for the fundraiser luncheon cost $45 and can be purchased over the phone at 412-849-1353.