SALISBURY – Salisbury/Rowan PFLAG will offer seven $1,000 scholarships to Rowan County students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender or as a straight ally.

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 across 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 students and straight allies. In the 12 years since its inception in 2007, the Salisbury-Rowan PFLAG Scholarship Foundation has awarded 58 $1,000 scholarships to Rowan County students.

The scholarships include:

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

• The Ralph Ketner-Bill Stanback Equality Scholarship.

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

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

• The Salisbury Pride-Scotty Ray Gilbert Scholarship, named in memory of Scotty Ray Gilbert, a former Salisbury Pride board member.

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

• The 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 Angel Barber, chairwoman 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 at www.salisburypride.com. The deadline to submit an application is March 30, and all candidates will be notified of the outcome by April 16.

For more information, contact Barber, the scholarships administrator, at 704-880-8225 or salisburypflag@gmail.com.