Photo courtesy Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore
The Eastern Shore Running Club receives a $5,000 check toward its inaugural scholarship. Pictured, from left, are Erica Joseph, President CFES; ESRC members: Kenneth D. L. Gaudreau, P.A., Mike Piorunski, Vanessa Junkin, and Lynn Sande.

By Morgan Pilz, Staff Writer

(Feb. 7, 2019) The Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore and Eastern Shore Running Club have established a scholarship for high school seniors in organized track or cross county.

“Typically, when groups come to us to create a scholarship like the Eastern Shore Running Club established, it’s because their goal is to create a permanent monument or legacy for their organization and to make sure that scholarship will be available each and every year,” Community Foundation President Erica Joseph said.

The $500 scholarship was established this year to help local students pursue higher education and promote running as a sport.

“For us, this is an effort that we saw we could make a lasting impact on the running community on the Eastern Shore,” Eastern Shore Running Club President Michael Piorunski said. “Our mission is to promote the sport of distance running and to foster a running community on the shore. I can’t think of a better way to promote running than to reward a student athlete who has endeavored to make running a major part of their life.

“[With] this being the first running scholarship on the shore, students who want to continue to pursue running, or who have had some notable running accomplishments as a student athlete, should apply as yet another opportunity to solidify running as part of their lifestyle,” he added.

Any graduating senior with a background in track or cross county may apply from Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties, as well as those attending Delmar High School.

“Every student’s situation is different, but it does not appear the cost of college is going down and I know that there are a lot of different financial opportunities people have, whether it be through grants or scholarships,” Joseph said. “But scholarships are certainly a way for students to help get local support for their higher education endeavors. I think it’s a proactive way to reduce the prospective loan balance they will have after they graduate.

“If this particular scholarship is not a fit for a particular reader, if they go to the website and talk to their guidance counselor, there are other scholarships available,” she added.

The deadline to register for the scholarship is Friday, March 8.

For more information about the scholarship or to apply, visit ESRclub.org or CFES.org/scholarships, or call 410-742-9911.