Bobby Hunton Stuff the Bus Scholarship Fund

A Community Effort

Since 2006, the Stuff the Bus promotion has altered the lives of children and families throughout Warren County and South Central Kentucky. Stuff the Bus is a community event that focuses on meeting the school supply needs of school-age children to ensure that every child starts the school year the same way. The goal is to give every child the same first day of school experience, regardless of background, home life, or economic status.

Each year community members come together to provide everything from basic school supplies to sports equipment and clothing to tremendous monetary donations, all used to help area children and the schools they attend. This past year, four school buses were filled to the brim with donations. This incredible success is greatly due to the efforts of radio personality Tony Rose and the amazing staff of the event to champion this worthwhile cause. Each year he and the volunteers raise major awareness for Stuff the Bus and are now inseparably tied to the heartwarming event. Like so much of the community, they understand the importance of this outpouring of compassion, which is the true definition of this event.

Stuff the Bus has continued to grow each year since it began nearly a decade ago. It has provided for school-age children all the way from kindergarten through high school, often helping the same children each year. Tony, as well as many community members, realized the educational dream should not stop at a high school diploma. This group of dedicated individuals recognized the need for a next step that would serve students as they pursued higher education opportunities.

Thanks to the visionary leadership and massive community support the event has received, we have created the Stuff the Bus Scholarship Fund to enable the same kids they helped through K-12 attain their dreams of post-secondary education. This scholarship fund is designed to offer assistance to complete the entire education cycle. Through this new fund, Stuff the Bus will continue to help deserving students and impact lives in an even greater capacity than ever before. Time will tell the future of the Stuff the Bus annual promotional event, but we are excited that this Stuff the Bus Scholarship Fund will exist in perpetuity and provide encouragement and assistance to countless number of students for generations to come.

1. This Scholarship Fund is administered by the College Heights Foundation as an endowed account. This fund is established by Tony Rose, a Bowling Green, Kentucky radio personality, who founded the Stuff the Bus event in 2006. This annual program provides school supplies to Family Resource Centers at schools throughout Southcentral Kentucky. In addition to the tons of school supplies provided through the Stuff the Bus event, this scholarship fund will provide financial assistance to deserving students in perpetuity thus completing the cycle of helping students in need all the way from kindergarten through their college graduation.
2. The principal will remain intact with only the earnings from investment used to make scholarship awards.
3. Two scholarships will be initially awarded in the amount of $1,000 each. The number and amount of awards will be reviewed on an annual basis and determined based upon the development of the Fund, the rate of earnings, and other factors that affect the availability of funds. The College Heights Foundation will fund one of the $1,000 awards until the total fund balance reaches a level to support the two awards annually.
4. Preference will be given to applicants who are enrolled as full-time students at Western Kentucky University. If there are no qualified applicants enrolled at WKU, applicants attending another university within the Commonwealth of Kentucky may be considered. Special consideration will be given to one male and one female student each year if there are eligible applicants.
5. Recipients must be a child or grandchild of a current or retired school bus driver in one of the following counties in Kentucky: Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Grayson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson, or Warren (including any city, county, private, or home schools within these counties).

6. Recipients must have held a part-time job during their high school tenure.
7. Recipients must be a graduate of a high school in one of the following counties: Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Grayson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson, or Warren (including any city, county, private, or home schools within these counties).
8. Recipients may major in any field of study or may be undeclared at the time of application.
9. Recipients must be in solid community standing as determined by the Stuff the Bus Scholarship Committee. Individuals must possess the personal qualities of character, integrity, dependability, industriousness and human compassion which produce leaders and merit the honor of this award.
10. Applicants must complete a WKU scholarship application prior to the published deadline each year. Applications must be submitted to the University Scholarship Committee in order to be considered.
11. Students applying for the award may indicate on their application that they are applying for the Stuff the Bus Scholarship.
12. Recipients will be selected by the Stuff the Bus Scholarship Committee, including Tony Rose, Bobby Hunton, Steve Meredith, Cliff Cothern (representing WBKO-TV), and two at-large seats (which will be selected by other members of the committee). At any point, the Stuff the Bus Scholarship Committee can hand over selection to the University Scholarship Committee for future years by a majority vote.
13. Award notification will be sent in the form of a letter from the University Scholarship Committee, with the letter to contain appropriate recognition of the Stuff the Bus Scholarship Fund.