Western Farm Press Logo

Friends of the Dixon May Fair to award $15,000; deadline to apply is March 1

Kathy Keatley Garvey, Senior writer

February 18, 2020

2 Min Read
Dixon May Fair scholarship presentation
Cameron Kemper (left) of Dixon received the 2019 Ester Armstrong Scholarship Award from Friends of the Dixon May Fair. With him are Carrie Hamel of Dixon, scholarship chair, and Donnie Huffman of Vacaville, president of the Friends. The deadline to apply for this year's scholarships is March 1. Kathy Keatley Garvey/UC-Davis

The Friends of the Dixon May Fair this year will award $15,000 in college scholarships to Solano County residents majoring in an agricultural-related field in a California college.   

Applications must be postmarked by 5 p.m. March 1. 

The top applicant in the four-year category receives the Ester Armstrong Scholarship Award of $3000, and the second top applicant receives the JoAn Giannoni Scholarship Award of $2500. The top applicant in the two-year community college category will be awarded the $1500 Jack Hopkins Scholarship. 

The Friends, the service-oriented and fundraising arm of the Dixon May Fair, raises funds from the sale of beverages at the four-day fair and donates the proceeds for exhibitor awards, building and grounds improvements, and college scholarships. Donnie Huffman of Vacaville heads the all-volunteer organization. 

Over the last 20 years, the non-profit organization, which raises funds through the sale of beverages at the fair, has presented a total of $200,750 to students majoring in an agricultural field. “We strongly believe in supporting our youth,” Huffman said. 

Applicants are scored on personal, civic and academic experience; academic standing; personal commitment and established goals; leadership potential; civic accomplishments; chosen field in the areas of agriculture, announced scholarship chair Carrie Hamel.  Most applicants have experience in 4-H, FFA or Grange, criteria desired not mandated. All applicants must be Solano County residents and must attend college in California, she emphasized.

Last year total of $12,500 in scholarship awards went to seven students, all of Dixon. 

Cameron Kemper won the Ester Armstrong Award; Maggie Swanson,   received the JoAn Giannoni Scholarship of $2500;  and Kylee Haight, the Jack Hopkins’ Scholarship Award of $1500.  

In the four-year college category, the winners were Jess Bravos, Kyle Esquer, Linzie Goodsell and MacKenzie Davi.

More information on the scholarship application rules is available on the Friends of the Fair site at http://www.friendsofthefair.org. Applications must be on Friends of the Fair forms and include a personal essay and letters of support. They must be mailed to the Friends of the Fair, P.O. Box 242, Dixon, Calif. and postmarked by 5 p.m., March 1. For more information, contact Hamel at (707) 678-3186 or [email protected].

The scholarship committee, chaired by Hamel, also includes Tootie Huffman, Kathy Keatley Garvey and Linda Molina of Vacaville, and Marty Scrivens of Dixon.  Huffman serves a treasurer of the all-volunteer Friends of the Fair, and Scrivens as secretary.

Source: Friends of the Dixon May Fair, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset. 

About the Author(s)

Kathy Keatley Garvey

Senior writer, UC-Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology

Subscribe to receive top agriculture news
Be informed daily with these free e-newsletters

You May Also Like