Scholarship created for Bertha Vos students

By Lindsay VanHulle
lvanhulle@record-eagle.com

May 10, 2008 04:00 am

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WILLIAMSBURG -- The doors will close for good at Bertha Vos Elementary in a matter of weeks, but the memories won't end.

Even so, the school's history in Acme Township still could be lost on its younger students, who some parents worry will think of their new building first when they reflect on their elementary years.

They want to make sure their children don't forget.

Parents and community members created a college scholarship fund in hopes of preserving the school's legacy. Every child who attended Bertha Vos this year, its last as part of Traverse City Area Public Schools, will be eligible to apply in their senior year of high school.

"Everybody thought it sounded like such a great idea," said Debby Oliver, a mother of two Bertha Vos students and who helped organize the fund. "It's pretty simple. They can tailor-make it to what we want."

A list of the school's current enrollment will be retained by the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, which is coordinating the fund. All students will be eligible, regardless of whether they stay in the district.

Scholarship details will be worked out once organizers have a clearer idea of how much money they can raise, but they want to offer at least $500 a year and ensure the award is renewable.

Oliver said she and other organizers will approach businesses and community members for donations, and plan to do a series of mailings to promote it.

The fund will have 501(c)(3) nonprofit status as part of the Community Foundation, executive director Jeanne Snow said. The foundation will post applications on its Web site and also will send the award money to the recipient's college.

"Often times, we'll have a fund start when there's been an event of some kind," Snow said, referring to a scholarship started in memory of Traverse City West Senior High students Adrian Morris and Christan DeWitt, who were killed in a car crash in August 2004.

Other scholarships are formed on behalf of a particular class, or in honor of a teacher or coach, Snow said.

The school's parent-teacher organization allowed the fund's organizers to set up information tables and collect donations at an alumni open house May 13 and a school carnival June 6.

"It would be wonderful to have something to look back on," said Tara Davenport, PTO president. "It's the only elementary school over on this side, so I think it would mean a lot to the people in the community."