By Jada Mier
Jacinto City’s Town Center transformed into a casino for the North Channel Chamber Foundation’s annual scholarship fundraiser last Friday, Aug. 13.
With a “Roaring 20s” themed casino night, foundation chairman Bill Palko said that the theme was meant to express the community has come roaring out of COVID. This of course was decided before we once again entered the red zone with COVID cases increasing.
Local companies, North Shore Rotary, and Chamber members joined for a night of games and Chick-fil-a. Poker, blackjack, and roulette were a few of the games played with funny money. A raffle took place with a chance to win a bucket of wine, a YMCA membership, and much more.
Playing it safe, all attendees sported masks, and tables were set six feet apart. Bill Palko, the foundation’s chairman, explained that all the proceeds would be going to a $5,000-dollar scholarship. The scholarship is to be awarded to a local student. The William C. Palko scholarship is geared towards San Jacinto College students. Palko chose San Jac because of “my history with the school.” As a former student, he wants to encourage kids to pursue an education beyond their high school degree. Every year a concentration of study is chosen for the award, last year it was business, and this year is health care.
While thanking these sponsors, Palko says, “The idea here is to make money for the scholarship fund so we can keep these young students in college.”
The three-thousand-dollar Title Sponsor, Ronny Dwairy and The Dwairy Family Foundation, was one of many contributors. These sponsors included Amegy Bank, Arkema Inc, KNCS services, J. Kurt Bouillion’s law office, Heights Builders, North Shore Rotary Club, Palko & Associates, LLC, and WoodForest National Bank.
If you are interested in helping to this foundation’s cause, you can donate to the William C. Palko Scholarship Fund by sending a check payable to the North Channel Area Foundation to the Foundation at 13301 I-10 East, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77015. Please write in the memo section of the check that it is for the William C. Palko scholarship fund.