The Albert Lea Business Women’s Legacy (formerly Albert Lea Business and Professional Women’s) recently donated $40,000 to the Riverland Community College Foundation to sponsor an endowed scholarship that honors the memories of members Donita King and Bertha Weiks.

Legacy members Ellen Kehr, Nancy Vanderwaerdt, Laurie Cochran, Bobbie Hobbie and Heather Janzig presented the check to Steve Bowron, dean for institutional advancement for Riverland Community College, and the executive director for the Riverland Community College Foundation on March 9.

King was involved locally with BPW and on the state level. When she died in 1988 she left money to the organization to insure that ALBPW gave no scholarship less than $250.

Weiks, an elementary and special education teacher in area schools, was a member of the local organization for more than 50 years. At 88, she received the Woman of the Year award from ALBPW. She died in 1996 and left money to the organization for scholarships.

Chartered in 1920, the local chapter of BPW addresses the needs of working women within our community. In the 1980s, Albert Lea Business and Professional Women decided that one of their main missions would be to provide scholarships for women.

Endowments are gifts invested by the Foundation. Only the interest income, in accordance with the donors’ wishes, funds a specific purpose or area of greatest need.

“An endowment is a gift that will continually help Riverland students,” Bowron said. “This is a great way to honor two women who believed in the educational opportunities Riverland offers to its students.”

The Riverland Community College Foundation raises, manages and distributes resources to support, enhance and promote the educational opportunities Riverland Community College offers the people of the region. Thanks to the generosity of supporters, the foundation is able to provide scholarship dollars, enhance learning opportunities for students and assist in supporting projects that enrich lives and the vitality of the region.

Riverland Community College, a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, is a regional comprehensive community college inspiring learning for living through a personalized educational environment. Approximately 4,900 students are served annually through a wide range of credit-based educational opportunities. An additional 5,400 students are annually served in non-credit courses. Facilities are located in Albert Lea, Austin and Owatonna. Riverland may be found on the Internet at www.riverland.edu.

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system comprises 32 state universities and community and technical colleges serving the higher education needs of Minnesota. The system serves about 250,000 students per year in credit-based courses and an additional 140,000 students in non-credit courses.