$1 Million Raised for the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation; Texas Marines and Community Leaders Honored

HOUSTON, Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On October 10, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, the nation's oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to military families, will host the Houston Awards Dinner to honor the service and sacrifices of Marines and their families. This year 128 Texas students were awarded college or vocational scholarships through the Scholarship Foundation. The Scholarship Foundation will announce over $1,000,000 in new gifts from Texas donors at the Awards Dinner.

This year, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation celebrates 50 years of honoring Marines by educating their children. The Scholarship Foundation has funded almost 30,000 need-based scholarships valued at over $70,000,000 since its inception in 1962, and has increased scholarship awards by 51 percent since 2006 to provide each and every eligible applicant with educational aid.

"We recognize that in this economy paying for a son or daughter's college education is no longer feasible for many military families. Providing the children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen with access to higher education is a wonderful way to thank our nation's heroes for their sacrifices and to ensure that the next generation of leaders have the skills they need to keep America competitive," said Margaret Davis, President and CEO of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.

Scholarship recipients prove the effectiveness of the program through their academic achievements, with 80 percent graduating from 4-year institutions. Recipients also find professional success after graduation, as demonstrated by Vincent Asaro, a Scholarship Foundation alumnus who will speak at the Houston Awards dinner. Asaro went back to his Alma Mater Duke University twice after graduating with a degree in Public Policy Studies and Political Science – first to get his law degree and later to get a second advanced degree in entrepreneurial law. Asaro is now Managing Director of an investment firm.

"With the help of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, I was able to attend the University of my choosing, and it was there that I discovered my passion for learning. My success in my undergraduate and graduate programs has supported my career success and greatly transformed my family's economic situation," said Asaro. 

Local veterans will attend the dinner, including Corporal Donny Daughenbaugh, USMC (Ret.) of League City, Tex., who was seriously injured while serving in Iraq. Corporal Daughenbaugh lives with a bullet from an AK47 lodged in his brain, as removing the bullet would be life-threatening. The Scholarship Foundation has already committed funds to send Corporal Daughenbaugh's two young children to college, and is planning ahead to meet the educational needs of future generations of Marine children.

Community leaders who exemplify Marine Corps values will be presented with two awards at the Houston Awards Dinner, including:

• Semper Fidelis Award, presented to Donald L. "Don" Evans, Former Secretary of Commerce for demonstrating a reoccurring commitment to an effort that contributes to the betterment of society.  
• Service Above Self Award, presented to Bill Balleza, News Anchor KPRC Channel 2 News for putting the needs of others before his own and showing a continued commitment to philanthropic efforts that benefit the community.

About the Foundation: Celebrating its 50th year, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation is the nation's oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to U.S. military families. Since inception, the Foundation has provided more than 30,000 scholarships valued at over $70,000,000 to Marine Corps children whose parents have been killed or wounded in combat or have demonstrated financial need. The Scholarship Foundation has a four-star Charity Navigator rating. For more information on the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation please visit http://www.mcsf.org/.

Contact:
Eugenia R. Gardner, Director, Communications & Investor Relations
Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation
(703) 549-0060
[email protected]

SOURCE Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation