CCSF and Elkader Celebration hosting annual scholarship fundraiser
By Willis Patenaude | Times-Register
Awards season is underway, when Central students will be recognized for academic achievements and their commitment to education.
It’s a commitment that often requires additional funding, especially for students continuing their education at college, where the cost of tuition has risen by about 112 percent for public universities in the last 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Since 2005, the average cost of in-state tuition has ballooned from $5,200 to well over $12,000 among national universities, and it continues to grow, with a 4.4 percent increase between the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 academic years.
Iowa is not immune. Last year, Iowa State University raised tuition by 2.8 percent for resident undergraduates, and Iowa Public Radio reported in April that resident graduates at ISU, the University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa will be dealt another 3 percent increase next year.
Although causes for the increases are open for public debate, options for assisting students are numerous, ranging from student loans and grants to scholarships, like those handed out annually by the Central Community Scholarship Foundation (CCSF), which has existed in some form since 1990. While it has undergone a name change in the last 30 years, its core mission “to raise funds to assist the graduates of Central Community High School, Elkader, Iowa in paying the rising cost of continuing education” has remained a driving force.
At the forefront of the effort for 10 years is CCSF President Courtney Vorwald. While CCSF doesn’t cover the entire cost of tuition, the over 30 scholarships the organization offers “support students in meeting their goals,” she said.
“This is also a good way to show Central graduates how much this community cares about them and their futures,” she added.
CCSF has awarded more than $100,000 in scholarships the last few years, like the John Edwin (Eddie) Poull and Dorothy (Starr) Poull Four Year College Scholarship, which gives $5,000, as does the Community College Scholarship of the same name. That award was established after the foundation received a sizable donation from the Poull Estate. It honors Dorothy and John Poull, who never let go of their small town roots.
Another notable scholarship is the renewable Jean & Leslie Tappan Scholarship, made possible after a large donation from the Tappan Trust in 2021. It awards four students $4,000.
There are several $1,000 scholarships, including the Ann Moyna Memorial Scholarship, FreedomBank Scholarship and Lucy Scholarship.
“Our community has been great about supporting this organization since its inception. We recognize that local businesses receive many requests for donations every year, so we really appreciate when they choose to support our organization,” Vorwald said.
It’s also worth noting that every Central graduate who applies for a scholarship, completes the essay and attends awards night will receive $600 funded through the CCSF and a grant received from the Upper Mississippi Gaming Corporation. Awarding most of the scholarships, however, is a process that involves the CCSF Board, as well as community volunteers who assist by reading student essays and sit on interview panels like the one for the Tappan Scholarships. Others have specific criteria that can be found on the CCSF webpage.
“Everyone is busy, but we have always been able to find community members who will generously donate their time to help select scholarship recipients,” Vorwald said.
Among the volunteers who play a “significant part” in the success of CCSF are Mike and Kathleen McShane through their Elkader Celebration effort, which has been involved in planning and promoting CCSF fundraisers for several years. They are hosting a concert featuring country artist Ashley Wineland, who returns for the third annual Central Scholarship Foundation Fundraiser after rocking the Volga Opera House just two years ago for the inaugural event.
“We are grateful for Mike and Kathleen’s connections in the music world because that decision is left entirely to them. We really enjoyed having Ashley Wineland at our first fundraiser...and we look forward to having her back this year,” Vorwald said.
The mission behind the concerts, as stated on social media, is to “help celebrate the scholarship foundation and continue to provide services and scholarships to our graduates of the area.”
This year’s fundraiser will be held on Saturday, May 10, at the Barn on Heron Hill near St. Olaf, which Vorwald described as a “beautiful space to help raise money for Central students.” All of the proceeds from ticket sales go to CCSF.
Along with Elkader Celebration, the fundraiser has attracted local support from businesses, including Wilke’s, C.J. Moyna & Sons, Garms & Gifford Insurance Agency and Foundations Wealth Partners, just to name a few of the 17 sponsors listed.
The event will feature music, food and fun, thanks to Wineland’s country music flash and flair, but it will also feature something else special to Vorwald.
“One thing I love about this fundraiser is having past scholarship recipients come and speak to the attendees about how the scholarships have impacted them. We want to make sure donors hear directly from the students about how the scholarships impacted them,” she said.
This year will feature Central senior Keeley Curran and 2024 graduate Bethany Wilwert, who will speak to the audience about their experience and the impact CCSF had or will have on their continued education. Perhaps they will have a similar sentiment to Vorwald, recalling a past scholarship recipient who said the scholarships make a “huge difference in somebody else’s life.”
Though the concert is a fun time for all, it’s important due to the donations that come from it. While the CCSF is funded through several other means, the concert fundraisers have been directly responsible for funding scholarships for more than 15 students the last two years.
Another fundraising effort is the foundation’s participation in Great Give Day through the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, which manages an endowment fund for the CCSF.
“We want to ensure the longevity of this organization, which means working to increase our endowment funds and to increase the amount of the CCSF scholarship,” Vorwald added.
The concert fundraiser is May 10, from 4 to 7 p.m., and tickets are available at ticketleap.com.
“I want to thank all of the businesses and individuals who donated funds to sponsor this event. Their generosity ensures that the money raised will be used to fund scholarships. We hope the community will support CCSF by buying tickets and joining us at the concert on May 10,” Vorwald said.
