Salisbury-Rowan PFLAG

SALISBURY — The Salisbury-Rowan PFLAG chapter will offer seven $1,000 scholarships to Rowan County students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender or to a straight ally of the community for the 2017-18 school year.

The scholarships are:

• Anne Stanback-Charlotte Kinlock Scholarship, named for Salisbury native Anne Stanback and her wife, Charlotte Kinlock.

• Ralph Ketner-Bill Stanback Equality Scholarship.

• Linda Ketner Community Service Scholarship, named for Salisbury native Linda Ketner.

• Bob Page-Dale Frederiksen Business Scholarship, named in honor of Bob Page, the founder and CEO of Replacements Ltd in Greensboro, and his husband, Dale Frederiksen.

• Salisbury Pride-Scotty Ray Gilbert Scholarship, named in memory of Scotty Ray Gilbert, Salisbury Pride’s former entertainment director.

• Roger and Linda Hull Scholarship, named in honor of the Hull’s gay son.

• Russell E. Hellekson Jr. Scholarship, named in memory of the accomplished musician.

“The seven scholarships are offered to all Rowan County public, private and home-schooled seniors as well as RCCC Early College students,” said Donna Odrosky, president of the local chapter.

“Through the success of its annual scholarship fundraisers and with the generosity of some committed benefactors and supporters, Salisbury-Rowan PFLAG is pleased to be able to offer these seven scholarships’” said Mike Clawson, chairman of the Scholarship Advisory Committee. “Our scholarships are unique in that students do not have to be attending a traditional four-year college to apply. We encourage anyone planning to attend a community college or trade school, including cosmetology or culinary school, for example, to apply for one of our scholarships.”

Scholarship applications are available at all seven local high schools guidance offices or can be downloaded at the Salisbury Pride website, www.salisburypride.org. The deadline to submit an application is March 30. All candidates will be notified of the outcome by April 15.

PFLAG is the nation’s foremost family-based organization committed to the civil and social rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. Founded in 1973 by mothers and fathers of gay and lesbian children, PFLAG has 220,000 members in more than 400 chapters throughout the United States, including 18 North Carolina chapters.

The Salisbury-Rowan PFLAG chapter was founded in January 2006 and was the first organization in North Carolina to award scholarships specifically to LGBT persons and their straight allies. In the 10 years since its inception, the Salisbury-Rowan PFLAG Scholarship Foundation has awarded 51 $1,000 scholarships to Rowan County students.

If you have questions or concerns, contact scholarships administrator Mike Clawson at 704-213-0181 or salisburypflag@gmail.com.