Local high school students who are residents of Point Edward, have the chance to win $10,000 towards a college or university of their choice.
Applications are now open for the third annual Maynard and Rene Walker Family Scholarship, an award honouring two longtime residents of Point Edward.
The successful applicant will receive $5,000 US each year for the first two years of post-secondary education.
Point Edward CAO Jim Burns said a total of six applicants applied for the scholarship over the first two years.
He said they're hoping to see more applications in 2019.
"I think it might take a couple more years to see a big increase in applicants," said Burns. "We're going into Bridgeview Public School now and telling all the students about it so that when they graduate from high school, they've been able to work towards this goal for four or five years."
Burns said key criteria for identifying the winning applicant will be high school grades and contributions to the Village of Point Edward.
He said a committee made up of himself, Point Edward Mayor Bev Hand, a member of the Walker family and one Point Edward councillor will review the applications.
"One of the ladies that works here goes through the applications and removes any reference to who the person is that's applying, so by the time the committee sees the applications, we don't know whose it is," said Burns. "Each committee member will then review them, and we'll get together as a group to come up with a decision."
Burns said applicants must be graduating from secondary school and attending a post-secondary institution in the fall of 2018. Full criteria for the scholarship is available by obtaining an application from the Point Edward Municipal Office.
The scholarship was started in 2017 by Mary Ellen Walker, the daughter of Maynard and Rene.
Maynard was born on Michigan Avenue in Point Edward in 1926 and lived on the same street until his death in 2014. Maynard was a member of the Village Fire Department from 1953 to 1988, and served as Fire Chief from 1956 to 1979.
Rene moved from Sarnia to Point Edward after her marriage to Maynard in 1949. She often participated in choir and "church lady" activities at the Point Edward Presbyterian Church before passing away in 2017.
Burns said their impact on the community lives on.
"I know the winner of the scholarship in 2017 is just graduating from Lambton College with a business degree, and the other gentleman is just finishing up his first year of university."
Applications are available for pick up at the Village of Point Edward Municipal Office.
Completed applications are to be submitted to the Village Municipal Office by May 1. The winning applicant will be announced by June 27.