TAMPA, Fla. — You may picture the invasion and parade when you think about Gasparilla, but there's another big impact beyond that: a community fund helping support students with scholarships.
The sticker shock on a college education is no surprise. So last year, when Ronan McKenna was interested in going to FSU, he knew he’d have to look into ways to help pay for it.
“I was talking to my guidance counselor," said McKenna. "He gave me the form for the Gasparilla scholarship, and I was like, okay, sounds cool.”
McKenna, now a graduate of Sickles High School, was honored to be among ten students picked as a 2023 YMKG Community Fund scholarship recipient.
“It helps people like myself be able to focus on school, focus on actually pursuing internships, and everything else without having the burden of taking on extra debt," said McKenna.
The Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla Scholarship Foundation and its successor, the Community Fund, were initially greatly funded by George Steinbrenner and the Yankees.
Today, it’s funded by proceeds from a charity dinner, a sporting clay tournament and contributions from Krewe members and community supporters.
"It's one of those things where literally 100% of the cash raised goes directly to these kids," said Truett Gardner, Captain of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla.
In 2023 alone, a committee went over 92 scholarship applications from graduating seniors at 24 local high schools and was able to give out $120,000 in college scholarships to ten students.
“We’ve given out $1.3 million in scholarship," said Gardner. "The cost of college has skyrocketed, so anything that we can do to help these kids along their journey and not end up with a mountain of debt, we are more than happy and excited to do.”
McKenna ended up at Florida State, but right now, is back in Tampa, soon to be a guest with other past scholarship winners in this weekend’s parade.
"The scholarships are making a massive impact on your future," said McKenna.
Back in December, Community Fund staff sent letters to all high school principals in Hillsborough County, encouraging them to submit nominations for the award of college scholarships to students graduating in 2024.
The deadline for submission is coming up fast on Jan. 31. The scholarship selection committee will then review the applications and select students for awards.
Selections will be announced this spring.
