Scholarship Fund
In 1981, OCWS donated scholarship funds to two California institutions: UC Davis and California State University Fresno. Both locations ran enology and viticulture programs. The organization donated $1,000 to each university for the first few years, increasing to $1,500 and then to $2,000 each by 1986. In 1987, OCWS conducted a “Guess the Number of Corks” in a 5-gallon carboy and netted $350 for the scholarship fund.
In the early 1990s, OCWS added Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly Pomona, and Orange Coast College to its scholarship recipient list, supporting wine marketing, enology and viticulture at SLO, hospitality at Pomona, and culinary arts at OCC. The Los Angeles Culinary Arts Institute received scholarship funds in 1992 and was then removed from the scholarship program the following year. Allan Hancock College was added in 1999; Napa Valley College was added in 2005, and California State University Sonoma was added in early 2000s.
Funds for the OCWS Scholarship Program come from a variety of sources, including special auctions at the Spring and Fall Socials, the Featured Winery Program at the OC Fair, donations from members throughout the year, and donations from the public during the OC Fair. Most recently, members have been recycling cans and bottles and donating proceeds to our scholarship program. In addition, at the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition, judges are invited to donate their honorarium to the scholarship program, which is then given in rotation to a different school each year. Over the years, we have also had special memorial scholarships including the Marino Family Scholarship Fund and the Chris Cunningham Endowment Scholarship Fund.
The amount donated each year in scholarships has increased from $2,000 in the first year of the program to $49,507 this year. Funds have generally increased from year to year except for a few years, most notably 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic when there were no funds brought in by the OC Fair or Wine Auction. With our current total donations reaching over $940,000, we plan to reach the $1 million mark next year for our 50th Anniversary. We hope you will donate to the program through one of the many methods we have available.
Donate Today Online Or mail a check – Make your check out to OCWS and mail it to the OCWS office at
OCWS
P.O. Box 11059 Costa Mesa, CA
92627 Attn: Scholarship Fund
Either way, a donation letter will be sent to you.