Posted: April 20, 2012 | Source: Times Daily
For the first time, The Midnighters and The Five Jets will be playing on the same stage at the same concert.It’s something they’ve been wanting to do for a while, and now are getting the opportunity as they raise money for Special Program for Achievement Network and Shoals Scholar Dollars.
All over the Shoals, there are people doing good work at things they are passionate about, and they are making a difference for us all.
That’s the theory we had, four years ago, when we asked our readers to tell us who those people were so that we could honor them with our first ever Renaissance Awards. We asked again this last year, and this time you offered us 28 individuals and one group (The Master Gardeners) who have made a huge difference in the quality of life here for all of us. Most of the people who were nominated do what they do because of their passion, not because they want attention; we found, on the night of our Renaissance presentations, that some of our award winners this year are quite shy about discussing the many things they are doing. Their work is huge; their egos are not.
We wish we had room to give you detailed articles about all 29 nominees, but we don’t. Instead, we present in this issue the five category winners for the 2012 Renaissance Awards. We are very impressed, and I’m sure you will be, too.
Two of our winners are involved in Shoals Scholar Dollars, a community foundation designed to give each and every young person in the Shoals the opportunity to continue education beyond high school. We thought it would interest you to tell you more, so take a look at our feature beginning on page 18. And great art, a love of each of us here at No’Ala, is also a part of this issue: you will find profiles on some of the most fascinating artists in our area, each as different from the others as
can be. The talent in this area is astounding.
So, this issue is about people in the Shoals who are making a difference. And I have a challenge for you: please begin to keep a list for us of the people you know who are working hard behind the scenes, so that when we have our next Renaissance Awards presentation, in 2014, we can bring attention to even more individuals who make this place special. But don’t wait to thank them for their work—you can do that right now. That probably means more than any award in town.
Original Post: https://web.archive.org/web/20120724071710/http://www.noalamag.com/2012/03/08/marchapril-2012/
IN THE NEWS: STUDENT OF YEAR BANQUET APRIL 26
Posted: March 26, 2012 | Source: Times Daily
Seventeen area students are in the running for Shoals Student of the Year, a program designed to honor successful students and raise money for the Shoals Scholar Dollars program. The 17 students represent all public and private high schools in Colbert and Lauderdale counties. The winning student will be announced April 26 at a banquet at the Marriott Shoals Conference Center in Florence. The Shoals Scholar Dollars program is being established to provide qualifying students in the Shoals with scholarships, beginning in 2014.
IN THE NEWS: AREA STUDENTS NEED THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY NEEDS THEM
Posted: March 12, 2012 | Source: Courier Journal
Randy Pettus is a firm believer in the Shoals Scholar Dollars program. He said, “I came out of retirement to do this.” Shoals Scholar Dollars began after several Rotarians had a vision to bring a similar program originating in Hopkinsville, KY to the Shoals. The concept quickly outgrew the capacity of the Rotary Club and created a life of its own. This required a separate volunteer board of directors.
IN THE NEWS: SCHOLAR DOLLARS GIVING FREE TUITION TO SHOALS STUDENTS
Posted: October 3, 2011 | Source: WAAY 31
A group in the Shoals is asking for support for a community-wide project. The goal is to send every high school student from Colbert and Lauderdale Counties to college for free, if they meet a certain criteria. To qualify for the Shoals Scholar Dollars Program, students must meet four simple guidelines. They must have a 2.75 G.P.A, be an American citizen, have a clean record and 95% attendance at school.