They come on the first Wednesday evening in May -- in twos or threes or foursomes. They ring the doorbell and ask for Dollars for Scholars.
I usually try to contribute -- at least $5 -- but I am never sure what Dollars for Scholars is all about. I just know it has been going on for a long time and is sponsored by the local Kiwanis Clubs. So it must be good.
Last week, I became more enlightened. I had a chance to visit with a student who will be out on the drive and the advisor at East Grand Forks Senior High, Jill Thompson.
She introduced me to Jaclyn Scanlan, who will be among hundreds of high school students ringing the doorbells of East Grand Forks and Grand Forks from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Jaclyn will be out with one of about 50 teams from Senior High asking for scholarship money. She and all the others will be wearing black T-shirts with pink on the front. So, if anyone without such a shirt comes calling in the name of Dollars for Scholars, the homeowner should be wary.
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Those wearing black and pink are students willing to go out and raise funds for education beyond high school. The money is handled by the Kiwanis Club, which follows the money each student has raised to the school they eventually attend.
It's a lot of work, according to Thompson at Senior High. But, she says, it gives every student a chance at some scholarship money if they are willing to work on the drive.
Locally, the administration has been handled by Gordon Henry, a retired UND dean, and before him, by the late Floyd Christianson. They have preferred to stay in the background and allow Dollars for Scholars to be a student-run program.
Among the things they do is invite the participants to a Kiwanis Club meeting. And this was an experience Scanlan has enjoyed in the past.
She's one of the more than 300 who will benefit from Dollars for Scholars. She's a soccer player who was Minnesota Miss Soccer for her division. Soccer;s something she has been doing since she played with her sister Bri on the driveway at home.
That led to her high school sports and she will go on to North Dakota State next year to play soccer. She finds it takes endurance and requires a lot of running. And she figures it is more fun to play soccer than to watch it.
For Jaclyn and her classmates in East Grand Forks Senior High, there is the prom coming up Saturday. Graduation is May 27.
For the most part, this is a happy time. The seniors are ready to move on.
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Reach Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or by telephone at (701) 772-1055.
