ABERDEEN — An organization founded to provide scholarships to female students in the Sandhills interested in pursuing a career in STEAM fields is hosting a 5K fundraiser later this month.
The Craven Apiary Foundation — named in honor of late Richmond Senior High School grad Candace Craven — is hosting a 5k Run/Walk at Pine Grove Farm in Aberdeen on Sept. 23.
The run is scheduled to start at 8 a.m., followed by a “Mobility Flow” cooldown stretch and a “Slow Flow” yoga session. The event will also feature a silent auction and raffle — featuring items donated from 30 local businesses — with local food, beer and wine vendors on site.
Participants are encouraged to show up 15-20 minutes prior to each session and will have to bring their own yoga mats.
All proceeds will benefit the 2024 Craven Apiary Scholarship Fund.
The foundation was “created to honor and remember Candace … and her love for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics,” according to a press release issued in February.
Craven graduated from Richmond Senior in 2007. She went on to attend UNC-Wilmington where she majored in Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry, and graduated in 2012. Craven also earned a Certificate of Data Analytics from the University of Denver in 2020.However, she passed away on Sept. 25, 2022.
“We are so thrilled to have been able to award three scholarships this past year and are looking forward to raising even more this year,” said Courtney Craven Eury, founder and CEO of the foundation.
The foundation awarded scholarships to Savannah Shepard ($1,000) at Richmond Early College High School, as well as Ashlyn Bouldin ($2,000) and Savannah Jordan ($500) of Richmond Senior High School.
There were also scholarships awarded to three students in Moore County. A newsletter states that there were more than 35 total applicants.
Eury said they were able to raise and distribute more than $8,000 in just a month, and are “still working out the total that we will be offering” this school year.
In addition to the scholarships, the foundation offers help to students in Richmond and Moore counties with collegiate and scholarship essay review, resume review, and interview preparation sessions.
For more information on the event, scholarships or the foundation, visit thecravenapiaryfoundation.com.
Note: This story has been updated to add information. 4:04 p.m. 9-6-23
