The Madison West Kiwanis Club has two main scholarships the Henry Ahlgren Humanitarian Scholarship and the Ethel Allen Adaptive Skip Program Scholarship. Details are listed below:

The Henry L. Ahlgren Humanitarian Scholarship is established in memory of the founder and first president of the Madison West Kiwanis Club. When asked why busy people in the community should be members of a service club, Ahlgren replied, “It is from programs aimed at helping people that we derive our greatest and most lasting and most rewarding satisfactions. It is from these programs that we re-discover again and again and again that ‘when you give to the world the best you have, then the best will come back to you.’”

Dr. Ahlgren lived a long life of dedicated service to his community. He continued to give his best to the world through Kiwanis projects and activities until he died in 2004 at the age of 94. He regularly attended the weekly meetings of West Kiwanis until shortly before his death.

A $2,000 Henry L. Ahlgren Humanitarian Scholarship will be awarded to the Madison area student who best exemplifies the characteristics described above. The first Ahlgren scholarship was awarded in 2007.

Candidates for the Henry Ahlgren Humanitarian Scholarship should have made significant contributions to their school community as well as to their neighborhood and city communities. They should be good students with strong leadership records. They should have a record of participation in extracurricular activities and be good citizens of their school and their community.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants for the Henry L. Ahlgren Humanitarian Scholarship must be high school seniors currently enrolled at Madison West, Madison East, Madison Memorial, LaFollette, McFarland, or Edgewood High School who plan to attend a college or university in Wisconsin. There are no requirements regarding course of study. The scholarship check will be transferred in-the student’s name from the West Kiwanis Foundation to the bursar of the Wisconsin college or university designated by the student. Candidates must complete the attached application form and provide at least one (but not more than two) letter of reference from a faculty member who is able to evaluate the candidate’s qualifications. Selection of the award recipient will be based on the following criteria:

• Community service (30 points)
• Scholarship (15 points)
• Extracurricular activities (15 points)
• Leadership (10 points)
• Communications skills (10 points)
• Essay on the importance of community service (20 points)

Award applications will be distributed to high school guidance counselors, Key club advisors, and others in order to identify qualified candidates.

The Durango Mountain Resort, located in the San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado, will be your destination this winter if you are awarded a Madison West Kiwanis Adaptive Skier Scholarship.

A mountain atmosphere, friendly people, and an exciting, life-changing experience will be part of each scholarship winner’s five-day, all-expenses-paid trip. The scholarships provide an opportunity for adults with acquired disabilities to discover their potential, successfully meet and overcome challenges, learn and enjoy an exciting new sport, and travel and make new friends.

The Madison West Kiwanis Club Foundation has received these ski scholarship funds through the Ethel B. Allen Trust. The funds will enable up to four people learn how to ski under the careful direction of the Adaptive Sports Association (ASA) ski instructors at Durango. The ASA is one of the best ski schools for people with disabilities in the United States.

Although all applicants will be considered, ideal candidates are adults with an acquired physical disability who regularly participate in athletic activities, are able to travel by air to Durango, are new to disabled skiing or snowboarding, and who can help “spread the word” about the program within their communities and support organizations. If you require an attendant, he/she may accompany you on this trip, but you will be responsible for the attendant’s expenses.

For those individuals selected for scholarships, you will travel to Durango Monday, March 1, 2010 and return to Madison on Saturday, March 6, 2010. For an opportunity to be selected for this program, complete the attached application (see left column) and mail it to the address below by November 2, 2009. The selection process will also include a personal interview to be scheduled during the weeks of Nov. 9-13, 2009 or Nov. 16-20, 2009. You will be notified by December 15, 2009, if you have been awarded a scholarship.

Mail your completed application no later than November 2, 2009 to:

Madison West Kiwanis ASA Scholarship
C/O Ken Saville
4106 Melody Lane
Madison, WI 53704

Or Fax to: 608-277-8333

For additional information about the scholarship, call Ken Saville at (608) 277-8288, Ext. 108 or contact by email (ksaville@wi.easterseals.com). You can also visit the ASA Durango website (www.asadurango.org) for additional information about the Adaptive Ski Association.

Contributions to both scholarships may be made to the Madison West Kiwanis Foundation, c/o Virgil Jurrens, Treasurer, 301 Walnut Grove Drive, Madison, WI 53717. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.