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‘Wagga’ Hunt Foundation issues 19 scholarships

Published:Tuesday | October 8, 2019 | 12:13 AM
The 19 recipients of the David ‘Wagga’ Hunt Foundation scholarship, from Calabar High School and Kingston College at their official ceremony at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica auditorium in Kingston last week.
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The 19 recipients of the David ‘Wagga’ Hunt Foundation scholarship, from Calabar High School and Kingston College at their official ceremony at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica auditorium in Kingston last week.

It was a family affair when parents and guardians of 19 young men of Kingston College (KC) and Calabar High School gathered in the auditorium of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica (ICAJ), Kingston, for the 11th annual awards ceremony of the David ‘Wagga’ Hunt Scholarship Foundation recently. There was an abundance of pride, smiles and tears as loved ones were presented with scholarships valued at $100,000 each, $1.9 million overall, for the 2019-2020 school year.

Scholarship disbursement begins in grade eight and runs through to grade 13 for a total of $600,000. It covers the cost of school fees, books, lunch and related expenses.

Scholarship selection

The selection of scholarship winners is based on financial need, academic performance, participation in sport or extracurricular activity, deportment and discipline. These criteria must be maintained throughout the life of the scholarship.

To date, 29 scholarships have been awarded and over $12 million disbursed, inclusive of this year’s allocation.

Geovani Thomas, scholarship recipient from Calabar and co-captain of the Manning Cup team responded on behalf of the present awardees. He thanked the foundation for its “consistent support” and pledged on behalf of his “brothers” to pursue excellence.

“The scholarship has provided much more than financial needs,” he said. “It allows us to form a bond that demonstrates family, and as such, we (the recipients) are able to have father figures who guide us like their own children, and they are also there for us as role models and motivators.”

Scholarship funds are raised each year by foundation activities such as the annual Red Carpet Ball held in Washington, DC, and the annual Football Classic held in Jamaica.

The foundation also relies on donations from corporate entities and individuals. Co-chairs Christopher Hunt, who is based in Washington, DC, and Arnold ‘Dullo’ McDonald of the Jamaican organising committee, lead the fundraising efforts, along with their teams.