22 April 2009
Judy Shepard will headline the 2009 Matthew Shepard Scholarship Awards Dinner on June 5, 2009. In October 1998, Judy and Dennis Shepard lost their 21 year-old son, Matthew, to a murder motivated by anti-gay hate. Matthew’s death moved many thousands of people around the world to attend vigils and rallies in his memory.
Determined to prevent others from suffering their son’s fate, Judy and Dennis decided to turn their grief into action and established the Matthew Shepard Foundation to carry on Matthew’s legacy. The Foundation is dedicated to working toward the causes championed by Matthew during his life: social justice, diversity awareness & education, and equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
Iowa's Matthew Shepard Scholarship Program honoring openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Iowa high school seniors.
Gold Eagle Awards are valued at $35,000 over four years and pay full tuition, books and fees at one of Iowa's three state universities: Iowa State University, the University of Northern Iowa or the University of Iowa.
Silver Eagle Awards are an initial award of $500 that may be used at any college or university in the United States. All scholarships are renewable annually for up to four years upon evidence of academic achievement and continued service to the LGBT Community.
To date, the Matthew Shepard Scholarship Program has committed over one million dollars in honoring one hundred and ten Iowans from across the state.
The Awards Dinner is Friday, June 5, 2009, at 5:30 p.m. at the Hy-Vee Conference Center in West Des Moines. Tickets are on sale now at mssdinner.eychanerfoundation.org.