We started deliberations on Dollars for Scholars in 2006
Our Charter was presented on June 12, 2008. We serve as a conduit for the PHS Alumni to give scholarships each year and have activities to organize donations to the Graduates of the Corfu Pembroke School District. Dollars for Scholars is an investment in the future of youth. We hope you will invest your time with DFS to reach these goals.
The Corfu-Pembroke Dollars for Scholars Charter members are: Doc (Art) Mruczek -Pres; Linda Rindell - V-Pres; Jack Waggoner - Treasurer; 'Berneda Scoins - Secretary; Toby Beahan & Keith Palmer - Awards Committee; Joseph Fenton, Michele Fingerlow + Gemma Rarich- Fund Raising; Sandra Maurer, Kate Reigel, and Katleen Dethier.
To find out more about what Corfu-Pembroke Dollars for Scholars can do for a college-bound student, please click on the Scholarships tab above.
We have participated in a number of Community Events that has let to 'bonding' of our group and local recognition as well as raising money. The annual Memorial Day Parade in Corfu draws a nice crowd and our group had lots of fun getting the word out about the 'new organization'. We never made much money for all our efforts but we had a great time. Maybe you could join us and offer an idea to make it work!
Our most popular Community Money Raiser is our Money tree. $100 assortment of Lottery Tickets is attached to our 'money tree' and chances are sold a $1 each, 3 for $2 and 20 for $5. Its a lot of fun interacting with the public and reminding them that a 'win' will give you a gift for a all those occasions. Forgot the spouses birthday, a lottery ticket will work. Also great for anniversaries, birthdays, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, graduations, and well, you can only guess the rest.Shown here is the Brick House Corner Day's winner from the 2011 event! This years winner (2011) Ms Nadine Neurohr, at the Brick House Corner Days is presented $100 in potential million dollar winners by Treasurer Katleen and President Doc.
A Major Scholarship was provided
The First Large Scholarship Grant was provided by Walter Chmielewski in memorial for his mother. When Walter Chmielewski contacted the Pembroke High School to announce funding for a Scholarship honoring his Mother Sophie, he attached an $11,000.00 check. Instructions were for DFS to establish a perpetual scholarship in her memory. The donor said, "I would like to think of my contribution as "seed money" which would be added to by others in the future." He refers to PHS as CHS as it was before the District merged the Corfu and East Pembroke School Districts and adopted a new name.
Walter went on to recall that as he was growing up he recalled a repetitive comment of his mother Sophie: "Others may take away your possessions. They can never take away your education." A strong and proper education can be a most important factor in the achievement that an individual can expect to accomplish and actually do so.
Sophie J. Chmielewski was born August 25, 1916 in Kansas City, Kansas. She died March 1, 2004. She was buried in a small cemetery just east of Allegheny Road less than a mile from the home on Gabbey Road, Indian Falls that she maintained from 1945 to the 1960's. She did not have the opportunity to complete high school. She was one of those individuals that counted on common sense and a sense of honestly and dignity to reach beneficial goals for herself and her children of 1 son(Walter, the eldest child) and 2 daughters(one 5 years and the other 10 years younger than her son).
Shown here is Daniel Graves, nephew of Sophie, presenting the 2011 Scholarship at the Senior Banquet with Toby Behan, Guidance Councilor. $1,000 has been provided by the Chmielewski Endowment annually since.