Foundation Launches Endowment to Fund Scholarships

The California Fire Foundation has unveiled its latest venture to help firefighters and their families: The California Firefighters Endowment.

Its mission: To increase the scholarship awards for the children of California's fallen firefighters.

Since 2006, the California Fire Foundation has helped send 17 students to college through its Daniel A. Terry Scholarship program. Scholarships of $2,000 are currently awarded each year to qualified applicants. But with the rising costs of college tuition, students need more financial assistance to cover the costs. The endowment will increase the scholarship awards and insure a permanent and reliable funding stream for future generations.

"Scholarships change lives," said California Fire Foundation Director Vanessa Robinson. "They open doors and create opportunities that may have been limited due to the loss of a parent. The California Firefighters Endowment will help children from firefighter families pursue their dreams."

The Foundation's initial goal is to increase scholarship awards to $5,000 per student starting in 2011. Hence, the Foundation is launching its initial fund drive called "In the Line of Duty" to raise over $2 million.

"It's an assurance to every California firefighter that if the need arises, your children will get the support they need for a good education," said California Fire Foundation Chair Lou Paulson.