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Author: George Fitz

Enter to win A Yeti Tundra Haul cooler and 4 Yeti Rambler 20oz tumblers!

Enter to win a brand new Yeti Tundra Haul cooler and 4 Yeti Rambler 20oz tumblers! This is nearly a $500 value!

That’s right folks, tailgate in style this fall with brand new Yeti gear. It’s guaranteed to keep your food and drinks ice cold, whether you are taking it to the beach, the park, the big game, or anywhere.

Enter to win our sweepstakes and know that ALL proceeds from the sweepstakes will go to our scholarship fund. So you’ll be helping an Appalachian student with their college tuition, all the while getting a chance to win some awesome Yeti gear!

Go to https://appalachianconnection.rallyup.com/yeti to enter!

Appalachian Connection Awards 2019 Scholarship

Appalachian Connection is pleased to announce the recipient of its 2019 scholarship. Ms. Kellie Griffith, a senior at Buckhorn High School was awarded the scholarship on April 16, 2019 at a ceremony at her school. Kellie will receive a grant in the amount of $10,000 to be used towards her higher education. She plans to begin her studies at Morehead State University in the Fall.

Kellie Griifth, the 2019 winner, along with Appalachian Connection board members (from left) George Fitz and Charlotte Fitz

George Fitz, a member of the Appalachian Connection Board of Directors said, “We are so excited to be giving this award to such a wonderful young woman. We are looking forward to following Kellie’s academic career and all of her future endeavors.”

Kellie is planning to pursue a pre-med track while at Morehead. After completing her education at Morehead, she aspires to attend medical school with plans to become a neurosurgeon. Inspired by her family’s background in nursing and medical care, Kellie is passionate about healing and helping people live a healthier life. She intends to use these skills to make a positive impact on eastern Kentucky.

When asked what it meant to receive the 2019 scholarship, Kellie responded, “Receiving this scholarship is very important to me because it shows that other people are able to picture me helping out my community in the future. I plan on providing this area with a service that is very limited and I am so thankful to Appalachian Connection for providing the means for me to do so.”


Appalachian Connection was established in November 2015. Its mission is to ease the financial burden of higher education for deserving students in Appalachian schools. Appalachian Connection is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization that provides scholarships to four year colleges. The scholarships have a value of $10,000 ($2,500 per year) and are awarded to applicants who demonstrate academic achievement, impact in the community, and a desire to utilize their education to help further our Appalachian region.

Congratulations to Kellie.

 

 

Enter to win two SECOND ROW seats at Rupp Arena to see UK vs Florida!

IMPORTANT UPDATE: The entry period is now over. We are no longer accepting entries. We raised over $1300 thanks to all of our generous participants! We will be announcing the winner on Thursday, February 28 by 5:oopm EST. Check back here then to find out who won!

Calling all UK fans!

Enter to win two 2nd row, half court seats for the Kentucky – Florida game at Rupp Arena on March 9 for Senior Night! Every entry gets you a chance to win these amazing seats and every dollar goes directly to a hard-working Appalachian student’s college tuition.

This picture was taken from the actual seats the winner will receive (that’s the back of Tom Leach’s head in the photo). So don’t wait, enter now for a chance to win the experience of a lifetime, and feel great knowing the money goes to a good cause.

Go to https://appalachianconnection.rallyup.com/uk-florida to enter! And Go CATS!

Donation Match! Run for the Hills 2018

We are very excited to announce that we will be participating in the 2018 Run For The Hills Charity Challenge in Hazard, Kentucky! The event will take place on Saturday, October 6 in downtown Hazard, and representatives from Appalachian Connection will be there to root on and support our dedicated runners. But the good news is that you don’t need to run to participate. You can show up to take part in the fun, or you can use the event to support Appalachia financially by making a donation that will be fully matched up to $5000. That’s right, every penny you donate to Appalachian Connection during the month of October will be doubled by our friends at the Foundation For Appalachian Kentucky!

IMPORTANT: If you choose to make a donation, please do so through our partner’s website, designate Run For The Hills and specify Appalachian Connection in the note section of your donation, otherwise we will not receive credit for the donation.

Since 2011, The Run for the Hills Charity Challenge campaign has put over $1,000,000 of local money back into local organizations that do critical work in our community. Created by the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the event brings the community together to help raise money as part of the Charity Challenge campaign. The Foundation works with local Charity Challengers to match donations, in order to build permanent endowments for participating organizations like Appalachian Connection. These endowments increase our community’s capacity to do great work, both now and in the future.

Then, on October 6 the community hosts a 5K run/walk through the heart of Hazard to celebrate. Please support us and make your donation by October 31!

Appalachian Connection Awards 2018 Scholarship

Appalachian Connection is pleased to announce the recipient of its 2018 scholarship. Ms. Danika Riddle, a senior at Perry Central High School was awarded the scholarship on May 8th, 2018 at a ceremony at her school. Danika will receive a grant in the amount of $10,000 to be used towards her higher education. She plans to begin her studies at Eastern Kentucky University in the Fall.

Danika Riddle, the 2018 winner, along with Appalachian Connection board members (from left) Patrick Farrell, John Cornett, and George Fitz

John Cornett, President of Appalachian Connection states, “Danika is a terrific representation of our mission at Appalachian Connection. We have no doubt she is going to come back and make a positive impact on the people of our region.”

Danika is planning to pursue a degree in psychology while at Eastern Kentucky University. After completing her education, she plans to return to Perry County and pursue a career as a social worker. Inspired by her mother’s selflessness and the support she received from Kentucky River Community Care after the death of her father, Danika is passionate about helping people overcome obstacles. She intends to use these skills to make a positive impact on eastern Kentucky.

When asked what it meant to receive the 2018 Appalachian Connection Scholarship Danika stated, “To be chosen as the recipient and perceived as a worthy candidate means people see potential in me. It is a potential I often struggle to see in myself, so for others to see that in me is life changing!” As the Appalachian Connection scholarship recipient, Danika also stressed that she wants to “show kids of the Appalachian region that going to college is a realistic option that they shouldn’t pass up. With this scholarship I have the potential to assist my region in becoming a place where people want to return.“

Appalachian Connection was established in November 2015. Its mission is to ease the financial burden of higher education for deserving students in Appalachian schools. Appalachian Connection is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization that provides scholarships to four year colleges. The scholarships have a value of $10,000 ($2,500 per year) and are awarded to applicants who demonstrate academic achievement, impact in the community, and a desire to utilize their education to help further our Appalachian region.

Congratulations to Danika.

 

 

Welcome to AppalachianConnection.org

While Appalachian Connection was founded in 2015 and awarded its inaugural scholarship in April 2016, our website has been non-existent. But that’s about to change. Today we are pleased to announce the launch of AppalachianConnection.org.

Better late than never, right?

We are very excited to finally have a website to help spread the word about our mission to send bright, aspiring Appalachian high school students to college. We would like to send out a big thank you to the Appalachian Ministry Network, who generously gifted us the domain name appalachianconnection.org. We would also like to thank you for visiting and encourage you to come back often. Here are a few ways we plan to use our website.

  1. The website will be the portal for all things about the Scholarship and we will introduce the ability to apply online when the time comes.
  2. We plan to have annual events to help us raise money and, just as importantly, have FUN in the community. Check out our Events section to find out what’s coming up.
  3. Our past scholarship recipients will be checking in via Blog posts to let us know how their studies are progressing and what they are up to.
  4. Our Donors section will do features on certain donors from time, so that the community knows who is supporting us and why.
  5. We plan to keep an active Blog, that will feature stories and links to stories we think are important and show our region in a positive light.