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Central Point holds scholarship auction By BUFFY POLLOCK CENTRAL POINT - School supporters hope to pull a miracle tonight for the third time: to raise enough money to fund the first year of college for every graduating senior who requests the help. The Crater Foundation will hold its Community Scholarship Auction tonight. Supporters expect 500 to attend and hope to beat last year's record of $22,000 raised. "We just want to get the message across to all these kids that not only 4.0 kids can benefit from going to college," says Jay McRoberts, a career adviser at Crater High School. With funds from the auction, donations from alumni, wills, memorial contributions and payroll deductions, the foundation has been able to fund scholarships for every student who applied since spring 2000. That year, scholarships were awarded to 119 graduates. Last year, 131 students received scholarships. "There's nothing but positive about this," said foundation president Harvey Tonn. "The community really comes together ... mayors and firemen to business people and everyday folks. It's a pretty wide variety of people." Senior Cameo Burnett hopes to attend Brigham Young University on a Crater scholarship. If awarded, Burnett will be the fifth child in her family to start college on a Crater Foundation scholarship. "It's great how our community is willing to help us be able to do something with our futures," said the honor roll student. McRoberts says he could tell story after story about students without hope who made it to college, thanks to the foundation. "We have a girl at SOU (Southern Oregon University) about to graduate. She had been basically homeless and worked full-time through high school. ... A family in Portland, who gave her a scholarship at the auction, came down to take her to lunch. "They went home and called me and said they decided to give her a full ride. I called her in and she cried for 20 minutes, and I cried for 30," he said. Those wishing to donate to the Crater Foundation may call Vicki Robinson at 664-6611. Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.