Colma presents 2012-13 Lucky Chances scholars
COLMA, California– Rommel Medina (R), president and CEO of this town’s Lucky Chances Casino – the first and only Filipino-owned gaming firm in the United States — and Maureen O’Connor (L), chair of the Colma Citizens’ Advisory Committee-Scholarship Fund introduced the 16 citizens of Colma who are the beneficiaries of Lucky Chances’ scholarship fund, which this year amounts to $15,100. The presentation was made during the regular Colma Town Council meeting Wednesday, July 11.
Scholars who were able to attend the awarding ceremony were Caitlin Ashley Colina, Shannon de la Cruz, Natalie Arianna Gonzalez, Irene Liston (representing her daughter, Nicole Liston), and Lucas Antonio Montalvo. Completing the list of this year’s 16 scholars, who were unable to be present are: Charlianne Alexandra Balton, Benjamin Velarde Basto, Teddy Franklin Cook, Crystal Danielle Figlietti, Juan Alberto Fuentes, Martha Leticia Gomez, Jasmine Mai, Ben Angelo Bonifacio Pacis, Gabriela Rosaura Navarro, Julia Ramirez, and Natalie Jean Woeppel.
The scholarship program has been a cornerstone of Lucky Chances’ corporate culture of community involvement and socio-civic mindedness. Over the past 12 years Lucky Chances has awarded nearly $220,000 in scholarship support.
“The town and people of Colma are truly appreciative of the strong and committed corporate citizenship of Lucky Chances,” said Colma Mayor Rae Gonzalez to FilAm Star. “The scholarship program which it has funded every year since 2000 has had tremendous impact on the children and young adults of Colma.”
Irene Liston, whose daughter Nicole is a second-time scholar under the program, told FilAm Star that “in this economy, the scholarship benefit she gets goes a real long way in helping her with books and other school-related expenses.” Nicole, she said, is taking up Political Science at the Dominican University in the Bay Area city of San Rafael.
According to O’Connor, the Advisory Committee sends out notices to apply for scholarship to every Colma household every year. The committee then reviews all applications and make decisions based on the criteria sent out in the notices.
“Applicants must meet academic and community service standards as well as citizenship requirements,” O’Connor said.
The Advisory Committee consists of nine members – six Colma citizens-at-large and three Lucky Chances employees. The other eight members are: Erlinda Cachuela, Perla Denina, Alice Letcavage, Lori DeRenzo, Irene De Vera, Carmela Mamaril, Betty Owens, and Elvira Schembri.
