Riverfest donates scholarship money to CFCC

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Riverfest organizers are giving back to the community and encouraging students to further their education.

Each year since the festival begin in 1979, organizers say they have donated a portion of the event’s proceeds to Cape Fear Community College’s Marine Tech program. In the beginning Riverfest staff says it would donate scholarship money and buy equipment for the program, but that has since changed. For the last six years the money has gone solely to the Eva M. Hobbs Endowment Scholarship.

This year Jenna Colthurp was awarded $5,000.

“Going to school full-time and working full-time is really hard. Receiving the scholarship just takes such a weight off of your shoulders, and it’s just so great. I feel so honored to have received it twice now,” Colthrup said.

The rising senior was also given this scholarship her freshman year. She said she was shocked to find out she had won it again.

“I was just blown away,” said Colthurp.

Riverfest organizers say in the nearly four decades they have been supporting the College and Marine Sciences Department they have donated more than $115,000.

This year Riverfest runs October 2-4.