The Kiwanis Club of Redlands has long been involved in helping college and university students by providing scholarships to help offset the costs of continuing their education.
The Scholarship Foundation was formally established in 1981 with the help of long time members: Urban Derkum, Luther Holden, attorney Ed Hales, and many others. The first scholarship provided by the new foundation was named the Rich Kennedy Memorial Scholarship. Rich, a club member and an outstanding young person in the community {renowned for the children's puppet shows he gave} who had just lost a courageous fight against cancer.
Ellen Schaunaman of Redlands High School helped the foundation to establish the criteria used to select scholarship recipients, based on scholastic record, participation in school and community activities, and a clear goal for the future.
Since the first scholarship was awarded, more than 45 scholarships totaling worth in excess of $153,000 have been provided to local students.
With the first graduating class at the new East Valley High School occurring this year, the Foundation is working to meet the challenge of providing three new scholarships to the deserving students at the new school.