Life Happens Wraps Up 2014 Life Lessons Scholarship Program, Sees Strong Momentum to Fundraising Campaign Going into 2015

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Life Happens, a nonprofit organization focused on educating Americans about the importance of life insurance as part of a comprehensive financial plan, is thrilled to announce the successful conclusion to their inaugural industry campaign to benefit the Life Lessons Scholarship Program. The campaign, which encouraged insurance professionals and home office employees to donate to the program for a chance to win a range of prizes, raised over $20,000 for the scholarship program to benefit young people who are personally experiencing the financial impact of losing a loved one.  

The Life Lessons Scholarship Program was established in 2005, and has grown into an industry-wide program involving insurance agencies, associations, independent agents and the general public. The program has provided more than $1.1 million to over 500 students since its inception. The scholarships benefit college students and college-bound high school seniors who are facing challenges achieving a higher education following the death of a parent or legal guardian who had little or no life insurance. The amount that has gone to students has increased year-over-year, due in large part to the strong participation from industry professionals, insurance companies and the general public. In 2014, Life Happens awarded a total of $180,000 in scholarships to 47 deserving young people, the greatest number of scholarships and most money ever awarded in one year.

"The Life Lessons Scholarship Program is a stark reminder of the unintended consequences that can occur when a parent dies without adequate life insurance and of the critical work our industry does every day to guarantee that those left behind will be taken care of when someone dies," said Marvin H. Feldman, CLU, ChFC, president and CEO of Life Happens. "We want to thank everyone who donated to the program this year. These contributions will enable us to reach even more deserving young people to help ease the financial hardships they're facing and make their dreams of higher education a reality."

From Sept. 1 through Nov. 30, industry representatives who donated to the Life Lessons Scholarship Program were entered for a chance to win Life Happens' "Fund a Dream, Live the Dream Sweepstakes." Every donor was entered into a drawing to receive prizes ranging from NFL tickets to a trip to New York City to meet Boomer Esiason, the 2014 national spokesperson for Life Insurance Awareness Month. The winners of the sweepstakes include grand prize winner Shaun McDuffee (Austin, Texas), Scott Johnson (Bountiful, Utah), Thomas Corbitt (Catonsville, Md.) and Ned Marzigliano (West Babylon, N.Y.).

Individual, tax-deductible donations can be made to the Life Lessons Scholarship Program at any time by visiting www.lifehappens.org/donate. Life Happens will start accepting submissions for the 2015 Life Lessons Scholarship Program on Feb. 2, 2015 through March 2, 2015. If you are interested in more information about corporate donations or scholarships, please contact Julie Holsinger at Life Happens.

About Life Happens

Life Happens is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping consumers take personal financial responsibility through the ownership of life insurance and related products. The organization does not endorse any product, company or insurance advisor. Since its inception in 1994, Life Happens has provided the highest quality, independent and objective information for people seeking help with their insurance buying decisions. The organization supports the insurance industry by providing marketing tools and resources and convening the industry each September for Life Insurance Awareness Month. Life Happens is supported by more than 160 of the nation's leading insurance companies, agencies and financial services organizations. To learn more, visit www.lifehappens.org.

Contact:

Lee Lubarsky     
212-445-8461
[email protected]

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SOURCE Life Happens

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