Petaluma Woman’s Club again offers scholarships

Each year, Petaluma Woman’s Club awards scholarships to inspiring graduates from Petaluma high schools. The scholarships are mainly supported by ticket and auction sales from a Spaghetti Feed held each fall at the B Street clubhouse, and hosted by Petaluma Woman’s Club pasta makers. But Covid-19 put the Spaghetti Feed fundraiser on hold for the last two years, and the scholarship fund had run nearly dry.

The club reached out to its membership in mid-December 2021, and in a matter of weeks, raised more than $5,000 in cash donations to fund the 2022 scholarship awards. Scholarship Committee Co-Chair Debbie Daunt was warmed by the outstanding show of support from within the club ranks: “To be able to keep the scholarships going, even at a time when so many clubs and charities are asking for contributions, made it clear how much members value education and support those Petaluma students with big dreams and vision for their future,” she said.

For more than 20 years, the Petaluma Woman’s Club honored select Petaluma students with $1,000 awards. The club gave six scholarships last year to students from St. Vincent, Casa Grande, Petaluma and Carpe Diem high schools. The scholarship fund also supports the club’s Santa Rosa Junior College scholarship and a Petaluma Educational Foundation scholarship.

“Especially after the challenges of distance learning, this award is more important than ever to acknowledge the achievements of our local graduates, and to support their future goals.” said Scholarship Committee Co-Chair Andrea Pierotti, who also noted the club plans to bring back the Spaghetti Feed in 2022.

For students, the deadline to apply for the Petaluma Woman’s Club is Feb. 15. Scholarship winners will be notified in March, and the club honors recipients and their families at the Petaluma Woman’s Club scholarship lunch held in April.

Contact Debbie Daunt at Debbie.daunt@icloud.com to request an application, or see the club website for more information: https://www.petalumawomansclub.com/scholarships/