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Scholarship Fund Gets Boost from Namesake
“My way of looking at this is that it’s an investment in the future of Franklin County,” says Dr. Martin Wennar, of his most recent donation to Northwestern Medical Center’s Martin H. Wennar, MD Health Education Scholarship Fund.
 Dr. Wennar’s gift is an “investment” for sure—he has pledged $25,000 to kick-start a permanent fund to help ensure the continuation of scholarships for those seeking careers in health care. In addition, NMC has allotted an additional $75,000 for this purpose.
“In the past, we’ve lived hand to mouth,” says Dr. Wennar. He adds that the annual Health Professions Scholarship Dinner, held each spring to honor the scholarship recipients, has basically raised money for itself, and left nothing in reserve to guard its future or allow the scholarships to grow in line with increasing needs.
This year, however, Dr. Wennar worked with NMC’s CEO Peter Hofstetter and Board of Directors to change the direction of the fund in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Scholarship Dinner and the scholarships it has funded. “It’s in recognition of where we’ve been and where we want to be,” says Dr. Wennar. “Helping our youth achieve their career goals has to be something positive.”
The scholarship program was established in 1987 by Dr. Martin Wennar and Peter Georgeopoulos, a former Northwestern Medical Center Chief Financial Officer, to honor academic merit and community service in youth pursuing health care careers. To fund the scholarships, a black-tie optional dinner has been held each year, featuring a high profile speaker, and the presentation of scholarships. In 2003, the scholarship fund was rededicated to Dr. Wennar, in honor of his long-standing commitment to encouraging health professions.
In recognition that times have changed, Dr. Wennar and the committee who plan the annual dinner invited input from representatives of all five Franklin County High Schools this year. The message from the students was clear: it was more important to offer a larger award than multiple smaller awards, as the costs of higher education have increased substantially over the years. In recognition of this, two $2,500 scholarships will be awarded at this year’s dinner; whereas in the past, three $1,000 scholarships have been awarded.
“Education has always been a high priority with me,” says Dr. Wennar. “I hope other members of the community will agree and will choose to support this fund.”
The 20th Annual Health Professions Scholarship Dinner will be held on June 2nd at the Champlain County Club. The guest speaker will be Governor Jim Douglas. Tickets are $50 per person for this black-tie optional event. For more information about the dinner or to make a contribution to the Martin H. Wennar, M.D. Health Education Scholarship Fund, please contact Helen Soule at 524-1054. |
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