.jpg "left to right: Lisa Hamilton, St. Croix Hotel and Tourism Assn Executive Director; Julie Printy, St. Croix Hotel and Tourism Assn President; Rukiya Emanuel, Neoshia Poleon, Cathriellah Shabazz, Amelia Christian, mother of Areya Christian, Gabrielle Regis")
On Tuesday, Aug. 20, the St. Croix Hotel & Tourism Association was proud to award $17,500 in scholarship funds to seven local students. Scholarship funds are a partial product of the annual Holiday Hope Benefit. This year’s recipients included:
Leila Armstrong, first time recipient, Colorado Technical University
Fatima Brown, second time recipient, College of St. Elizabeth (N.J.)
Areya Christian, second time recipient, DeVry University (Fla.)
Rukiya Emanuel, first time recipient, Pennsylvania State University
Neoshia Poleon, first time recipient, University of the Virgin Islands
Cathriellah Shabazz, first time recipient, University of the Virgin Islands
Frank Wilson III, third time recipient, Johnson and Wales University (Fla.)
Winners received $2,500 each in the form of a check made out to the student and their university. The winners and their parents attended the Hotel & Tourism Association’s general membership meeting to receive their checks and mix/mingle with the local business community.
This year’s Holiday Hope Benefit is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 5, at Divi Resort. In 2012, over 2,000 toys were donated to 12 local organizations and the Boys & Girls Clubs on St. Thomas. The $35,000 raised benefitted the Scholarship Fund, The Boys & Girls Club of St. Croix and CASA of the Virgin Islands.
