Dallas– Outstanding Dallas area students Charity Garrison and Dominic Bowie thought they were participating in a basketball exercise clinic with their peers, when Mavericks Guard Vince Carter, along with Sun Life Regional Group Manager Joseph Braley and Sun Life Voluntary Practice Leader Matt Aldridge surprised them and their supporting nonprofit organizations Big Brothers Big Sisters and Community Council of Greater Dallas with a total of $110,000 in grants and scholarships as part of the Sun Life Rising Star Awards program.
The private basketball clinic took place at Paul Quinn College Tuesday night, where Carter was on hand to lead more than 35 Dallas youth from both nonprofits in a variety of basketball drills and games. After the surprise announcement, Carter also conducted a Q&A session with the youth, giving them insight to his background growing up, and what it takes to succeed in life and in school.
Big Brothers Big Sisters and Community Council of Greater Dallas each received $50,000 grants, while Garrison and Bowie received $5,000 Sun Life Rising Star college scholarships for their remarkable educational achievements and commitment to their community. The Sun Life Rising Star Awards program provides financial resources to highly-motivated students and nonprofit organizations in large urban school districts committed to encouraging under-served youth to stay in school. The program also promotes the importance of higher education as a means to achieve life-long financial wellness.
This year, Sun Life will provide nearly $1 million in grants, scholarships and other resources to outstanding organizations and students in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Nashville and South Florida. By the end of 2013, Sun Life will have invested nearly $4 million to recognize a total of 70 students and 63 nonprofit organizations in 14 U.S. cities, since the program began in 2010.
