LAS VEGAS – Project 150, a local nonprofit that provides homeless, displaced and disadvantaged high school students with basic necessities, is celebrating local high school graduates and their quest to continue their education at its annual scholarship luncheon on June 21 at Santa Fe Station Hotel and Casino. The scholarship recipients have doubled in the past two years.
Project 150 will be awarding in excess of $240,000 in scholarships to 98 deserving Southern Nevada students served by the homegrown local nonprofit. Each scholarship recipient will receive up to $4,000.
The students will use the money to attend Nevada colleges and universities, including College of Southern Nevada, Nevada State College, UNLV and University of Nevada, Reno. Of the 98 scholarship recipients, 81 are first-generation college students and 20 students will receive their undergraduate degree this fall.
Charles and Phyllis M. Frias Charitable Trust is the presenting sponsor this year, donating $100,000 to the program. EOS Fitness, the Gene Haas Foundation, and The Holzhauer Family each donated over $25,000.
Since its creation in 2009, the Project 150 Youth Council scholarship program has awarded nearly $1 million in scholarship money to deserving students.
The scholarship luncheon will be hosted by Kelli Kristo, executive director of Project 150, and Chet Buchanan, radio show creator/host and Project 150 board member.
“Our goal is to ensure these students have access to the tools necessary to pursue and complete a postsecondary education,” Kristo said. “It’s amazing to see how far our fundraising efforts and community support has grown over the past 12 years.”
“I’m proud of the continued work we do to support our students who otherwise might be left out of the education journey. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for these motivated students,” Kristo said.
About Project 150
Project 150 is a 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization, founded in December 2011 by local businessmen Don Purdue and Patrick Spargur. The two heard about 150 homeless high school students at Rancho High School in Las Vegas who were in need of support over the Christmas break. Since that time, Project 150 has expanded and now serves more than 6,800 registered and non-registered homeless, displaced and disadvantaged high school students in more than 75 schools in Nevada. Project 150 provides these students with free food, clothing, school supplies, sports equipment, shoes, college scholarships, workforce readiness, and other needs so they can focus on school, graduate and be successful in life. For information, visit www.Project150.org, or call (702) 721-7150. Follow Project 150 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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