Pierce College's The Pioneer - Vol. 51, Issue 1
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12 / FEATURES Sept. 27, 2017 / <strong>Vol</strong>. <strong>51</strong>, <strong>Issue</strong> 1<br />
piercepioneernews.com SPORTS / 13<br />
SCRAMBLE PUTS MONEY IN STUDENTS’ POCKETS<br />
Annual fundraiser raised<br />
$46,000 in August<br />
FALL 2017 RAIDERS SPORTS<br />
KICKS OFF INTO HIGH GEAR<br />
By MARJI HARRIS<br />
Staff Writer<br />
EVERY YEAR THE PIERCE<br />
COLLEGE Foundation hands out<br />
thousands of dollars in scholarships.<br />
Recipients are not just Science,<br />
Technology, Engineering and Math<br />
students or enrolled in the criminal justice<br />
program. <strong>The</strong>y are veterans, military<br />
dependents, homeless — the list is endless.<br />
One of the major fundraisers for these<br />
scholarships is the annual golf scramble.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 24th scramble was held Aug. 10 at the<br />
High Cedars Golf Club in Orting.<br />
<strong>The</strong> foundation traditionally has been<br />
the beneficiary of some generous donors<br />
who use the scramble and the auction at<br />
the dinner banquet afterwards as a way to<br />
contribute to the fund.<br />
Nicole Ferris from the foundation was<br />
one of the volunteers who coordinated the<br />
event. Due to a very successful fundraising<br />
event earlier this year, the foundation is<br />
making some changes to how the money<br />
raised is distributed.<br />
“What we want to do is meet the<br />
greatest need of the student. Scholarships<br />
traditionally have been tuition-based, but<br />
we are expanding so it is more about the<br />
cost of attendance and everything that rolls<br />
up into that,” Ferris said.<br />
<strong>Vol</strong>unteers also contributed to the<br />
success of the event. Staff and students<br />
fill various key positions, from handling<br />
raffle drawings to directing traffic. For the<br />
donors, it is a way for them to put faces to<br />
the names they helped.<br />
“We rely so much on our volunteers<br />
to make this happen. Our donors really<br />
live to interact with our students. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
are the ones who benefit from the donor’s<br />
generosity,” Ferris said.<br />
<strong>Pierce</strong> College Chancellor Michelle<br />
Johnson is enthusiastic on how the event<br />
benefits the students.<br />
“Our students are here, showing the<br />
golfers how they have been committed to<br />
helping be part of this. That is the key part,<br />
showing how it helps students. We have<br />
always had a student speaker who talks<br />
A participant<br />
lines up for<br />
a finishing putt.<br />
about the impact,” she said.<br />
John Gibson, owner of Cool Cycles Ice<br />
Cream Co., had a prime location in the<br />
middle of the course. He is a <strong>Pierce</strong> alum<br />
and received a scholarship during his term<br />
there.<br />
“When I first went to <strong>Pierce</strong> College, I<br />
had no confidence at all. All I wanted to be<br />
was a businessman. Now I build a milliondollar<br />
apartment building and have 5<br />
different companies. It all started at <strong>Pierce</strong><br />
College,” Gibson said.<br />
At the end of the day, the event raised<br />
about $46,000. It is money waiting in a<br />
scholarship or grant, ready to be put to use.<br />
John Gibson, owner of Cool<br />
Cycles Ice Cream Co., handed<br />
out free ice cream to guests.<br />
Matt Wuscher/Contributing Photo<br />
“I would encourage every student<br />
to apply for a scholarship. You’ll see<br />
something around October. That is when<br />
we do our next review,” Ferris said.<br />
ONLINE<br />
• Information for applying is<br />
available at pierce.ctc.edu/<br />
foundation-scholarships<br />
• Watch <strong>The</strong> <strong>Pioneer</strong>’s video<br />
of the event at<br />
bit.ly/2xk2voM<br />
Matt Wuscher/Contributing Photo<br />
Arielle Barber spikes the<br />
ball over the net.<br />
Victoria Valencia,<br />
left. races down<br />
the field against the<br />
opposing team who<br />
tries to steal the ball.<br />
Goalkeeper Kaitlyn<br />
Brantzeg attempts to<br />
stop Centralia from<br />
scoring a goal, but the<br />
ball gets past her.<br />
Kenzie Seitz<br />
(in blue) hits<br />
the ball.<br />
Middle hitter Brooke Peterson<br />
(in blue) goes for the ball.<br />
Photos by Debbie Denbrook/Staff Photo