William A. Perry Scholarships Awarded to Eight Deserving Youth Volunteers

Maryland – -(AmmoLand.com)- The Board of Directors of Waterfowl Chesapeake has awarded the annual William A. Perry Scholarships to eight dedicated youth volunteers of the Waterfowl Festival, representing $8,750 in scholarship funds to be distributed.

Established in memory of William A. Perry, the scholarship fund recognizes exceptional volunteer service to the Waterfowl Festival and encourages the pursuit of higher education. Festival youth volunteers who are pursuing a college or other degree or plan to do so in the fall are eligible to apply each spring.

Awardees and their families enjoyed a summer picnic at the Bay Street Ponds on July 25 to receive recognition for their service and their awards from Debbye Jackson who is a member of the scholarship committee and daughter of Bill Perry, a Festival co-founder and the program’s namesake. Debbye was one of the first ever “duck sitters” to volunteer her time in support of the Waterfowl Festival during its early years.

Funding for the scholarships comes from donors and the Annual William A. Perry Art Auction held during Festival’s opening Premiere Night Party. This year’s Premiere Night event and the auction will take place on Thursday, November 7, 2019. Buy tickets here.

Not pictured in the above photo – Chase Browning, Salisbury University; McKenna Browning, Delaware Technical Community College; Gwendolyn Stevenson, Stevenson University

What are the other projects that are supported by the Waterfowl Festival?

Waterfowl Chesapeake Receives $50,000 in Grant Funds for 50th Anniversary Planning

Earlier this month, the Maryland Heritage Area Authority (MHAA), administered by the Maryland Department of Planning, announced the distribution of $5 million in grants to support heritage tourism across the state. There are 13 state heritage areas that touch every county in Maryland and Baltimore City.

Waterfowl Chesapeake was awarded $50,000 as part of this round of funding for our “Waterfowl Festival 50th Anniversary Groundwork & Audience Development Project” in the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area. As part of the grant project, Waterfowl Chesapeake (WC) has proposed four main areas of concentration:

• Interpretive/Interactive Exhibit Planning
• Economic & Cultural Impact Study
• Website Improvements
• WF App Development

WC will contract with a company to complete an audience and impact study during the 2019 Festival as well as develop a new website and app for the 2020 Festival — our 50th anniversary year!

Since its creation in 1996, MHAA has awarded more than $41 million in grants and helped to leverage more than $1.6 billion in non-state funding for heritage tourism projects and activities.

Waterfowl Festival Inc., a partner of Waterfowl Chesapeake Inc., is dedicated to wildlife conservation, the promotion of wildlife art, and the celebration of life on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. For more information, to volunteer, or donate, visit www.waterfowlfestival.org or call 410-822-4567.

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