The GMAA-Batchelor Aviation Scholarship Fund has benefited greatly from the generosity of The Batchelor Foundation for many years now. The Batchelor Foundation's most recent offer of assistance has come in the form of a challenge to all who know and believe in the Scholarship Fund. The Batchelor Foundation has offered the Scholarship Fund a "Match Grant" of $100,000, meaning that for every dollar we raise, The Batchelor Foundation will match it, up to $100,000, with a deadline of August, 2007. This means that we have the opportunity to add $200,000 to the Fund's bottom line during this time, which would take the Fund over $1 million for the first time in its existence.

As many know, some of the money provided for the annual scholarships comes from monies raised during the GMAA's annual Banquet and golf tournament. We also use profits from the Fund's balance, though never touching the principal. The idea that we may be able to grow the Fund to over $1 million within the next year is striking enough. Of even greater note are the possibilities of the many good things we may be able to do for aspiring aviation students in the future, with such a financial base to work from.

The GMAA-Batchelor Aviation Scholarship Fund has done extremely well in the past several years, with the proof being in the many students we've been able to assist. We firmly believe that we are on the verge of being able to take the Scholarship Fund to an entirely new level, one few of us could have imagined even a few years ago, and we are sincerely asking for your help in the process. No financial donation is too small. No volunteer effort is too minor. All will be greatly appreciated, and in return, we look forward to telling of the success of our Scholarship recipients in years to come.