Polar Plunge

The Rowan County Special Olympics will hold its Polar Plunge on Feb. 27 at Salisbury Elks River Park, Long Ferry Road.

A $25 minimum donation is required to take the plunge. The event will include a costume contest and a pre-plunge party with food, music and door prizes. Registration begins at 11 a.m., the first plunge will be at 1 p.m.

For more information or to register contact Jay Taylor at 704-654-6892 or Jesse Byrd at 704-636-0111.

School choice week

As 2017 promises to bring new growth to educational opportunity around the country, tens of millions of parents, teachers, students, citizens and community leaders are planning celebrations during National School Choice Week.

Some 21,392 independently-planned events will take place Jan. 22-28, including pep rallies, science fairs, school tours, policy forums and rallies in more than 25 state capitals.

Of the 21,392 events, 16,758 are planned by schools, 2,168 by homeschooling groups, 1,358 by chambers of commerce and many more by individuals, along with coalitions of policy, advocacy, and education organizations. Each event reflects the community and mission of the individual event planners, focusing on themes like parent information nights, registration fairs and workforce readiness.

Golden LEAF Scholarships available

Golden L.E.A.F. Scholarship awards, valued at $12,000 ($3,000 per year for up to four years), will be offered to first-time recipients attending a qualifying North Carolina campus for the 2017-18 academic year.

The scholarships are funded by a grant from the Golden L.E.A.F. Foundation and are administered by the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority.  Information and applications are available online on the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC.org) website at CFNC.org.goldenleaf.

To be considered, applicants must:

• Be enrolled during the 2016-17 academic year at a North Carolina public or private high school or a North Carolina community college.
• Enroll for fall 2017 as a full-time, degree-seeking freshman or transfer from a North Carolina community college at one of the 57 qualifying public universities or private colleges and universities in North Carolina.
• Be a North Carolina resident for tuition purposes with a permanent residence in one of 79 qualifying rural counties.
• Demonstrate financial need by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which is available at www.fafsa.gov.
• Submit a Golden LEAF Scholarship application available at CFNC.org/goldenleaf and a current high school or community college transcript.

The application deadline for consideration for a Golden L.E.A.F. Scholarship is March 1.

A complete list of program requirements, participating campuses and qualifying counties can be viewed at CFNC.org/goldenleaf.

Scholarship recipients also may apply for the Golden L.E.A.F. Scholars Leadership Program. Offered through the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, this program provides leadership-building seminars, a summer internship and a stipend. Students completing all four years of the leadership program can receive up to $8,830 in stipends in addition to the Golden L.E.A.F. Scholarship award. For more information on the Golden L.E.A.F. Scholars Leadership Program go to http://goldenleaf.org/files/leadership_program.pdf.

For more information, contact College Foundation of North Carolina toll-free at 866-866-CFNC, option 2 or go to CFNC.org/goldenleaf.

Independent Schools Spelling Bee

Covenant Classical School will host the Cabarrus County Independent Schools Spelling Bee today at 12:30 p.m. Three Covenant Classical School students, Parker Rose, seventh grade; Hannah Gromis, sixth grade; and Ava Justice, sixth grade; will compete in the spelling bee along with students from other independent schools. The winner will advance to the Charlotte Regional Spelling Bee.

Basketball Camp scholarship available

EnergyUnited is giving two students an opportunity to hit the hardwood alongside their favorite college basketball athletes and coaches this summer, thanks to Touchstone Energy Sports Camp Scholarships.

EnergyUnited will select one young man for a scholarship to attend the Roy Williams Carolina Basketball Camp June 17-21 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and one local young lady for the Wolfpack Women’s Basketball Camp June 11-14 at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. The scholarships cover all expenses at the overnight camps, which provide a glimpse into life on a college campus.

Applications are being accepted through March 31 and can be found online at www.energyunited.com/sports-camp. Applicants will be judged on academic records, extra-curricular activities and an essay that must be submitted with the application. To be eligible to win, students must be in the sixth, seventh or eighth grade during the 2017-2018 and have permission from a parent or guardian. 

At camp, students stay overnight in dorms on campus, learn fundamental skills that will help them excel on and off the court, and receive direct individual and group instruction from Division 1 coaches to enhance their basketball ability.

Wes Moore, coach of the Wolfpack women’s basketball team, and Roy Williams, coach of the 2005 and 2009 national champion Carolina Tar Heel men’s basketball team, will direct the camps with the help of staff and current and former players.

Eligible students who are interested in the scholarship can contact Donnie Shoaf, communications specialist, at 704-924-2139 or donnie.shoaf@energyunited.com  for more information. More than 50 students will attend basketball camp this summer on all-expenses paid scholarships from North Carolina’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives. Now in its 14th year, the scholarship program reflects Touchstone Energy Cooperatives’ core values of accountability, integrity, innovation and commitment to community.