The St. John’s High School Scholarship Fund non-profit helps local students continue their education. It is based on a similar scholarship that was offered in our hometown of Torrington, Connecticut in conjunction with a local restaurant which our father was deeply involved in.

When my brothers Richie, Dennis and I moved to Johns Island, we wanted to do something similar and now we had sufficient people to support a scholarship committee and the work it entailed. We started a conversation with Fred and Joan Neuville, owners/chef of The Fat Hen on Johns Island.

The Scholarship fund was established and registered in South Carolina in 2017 and established the corporation. We completed all the necessary paperwork and requirements for a Federal IRS designation as a non-profit. We received our 501(c)(3) approval in December 2018.

Next, I engaged with the local high school, St. John’s High School. I met with the principal to discuss our plans and how best to be involved to support deserving graduating seniors. We support only this high school as we found the need high and with a small graduating class, we could have a significant impact.

We held our first successful fundraiser in March 2018 at The Fat Hen and decided we had raised sufficient funds to provide one scholarship that year. Thus far, we have held SEVEN fundraising events but had two years during the Covid pandemic where we could not have fundraisers. We actively receive our donations from individuals and organizations.

Competition for this scholarship is open to all female and male students who are residents of Johns Islands and Wadmalaw in the year of their graduation from St. John’s High School. The selection is a blind process, where the Steering Committee does not know the names of the students applying. The scholarship is paid annually and will be awarded to the student(s) who are planning to secure an education beyond the high school level and who, in the judgment of The St John’s High School Scholarship Steering Committee, are deemed the most worthy and in good standing at school, at home and in the community. The scholarships will be paid directly to the students' college account after the Steering Committee has been notified in writing as to the name of the institution of higher education a recipient will be attending.

The Scholarship Fund presently awards scholarships in the total amount of up to $2000, which is $500 per year paid each year that the recipient continues her or his college or trade school education up to a maximum of four years. We currently are supporting eight (8) students with our first recipient graduating this year and one of the second group graduating in the fall of 2023.