Laboratory employees and subcontract personnel have until Wednesday, June 30, to make a donation or pledge through payroll deduction to this year's Los Alamos Employees' Scholarship Fund drive. The program awards college scholarships to Northern New Mexico area students.
As of Tuesday, more than $122,000 in pledges and donations has been received by the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation at its Española offices, said Tony Fox of the foundation.
The goal of this year's scholarship drive is $205,000.
Lab workers received pledge forms at their mail stops earlier this month. Through payroll deduction, employees may donate between $1 and $10 or more each paycheck, and contributions to the scholarship fund are tax deductible. The $1-to-$10-per-pay-period range of suggested donations was developed to make it easy for all Lab personnel to participate. Payroll deductions will continue unless otherwise instructed by the donor. Lab workers can make changes to their pledge amounts by contacting their payroll office.
Lab personnel also can make a one-time donation. Personal checks should be written to the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation. Visa or Mastercard also can be used to donate to the fund. Fox added that late donations or pledges to the scholarship fund will be accepted after June 30.
Since the program's inception, University of California Laboratory employees and subcontract personnel have contributed $789,000 in donations or pledges to the Los Alamos Employees' Scholarship Fund giving campaign. More than 250 high school seniors or college undergraduates have received scholarships through the fund since 1999.
The scholarship program is managed by the not-for-profit Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation.
The Laboratory Foundation is a philanthropic grant-giving entity created in 1997. It supports a range of regional and community not-for-profit organizations.
For more information on the scholarship fund, write to Fox of the Laboratory Foundation at tfox@lanlfoundation.org by electronic mail or see the Laboratory Foundation's Web site at www.lanlfoundation.org online.
--Steve Sandoval