Alicia Claypool will receive a 2013 Eychaner Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. The award will be presented at the 2013 Matthew Shepard Scholarship Awards Dinner in Des Moines on Friday, June 7th. More details are available at http://www.mssad.org.

Alicia Claypool is a nonprofit entrepreneur, having founded or co-founded three not for profit organizations: the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, Iowa Safe Schools, and Iowa Immigration Education Coalition. She is currently engaged in creating the Latina Leadership Initiative of Greater Des Moines, an innovative leadership development program for young Latinas, ages 20-30.

Alicia served on the Iowa Civil Rights Commission from 1999-2011, including five years as Chairperson. Her professional life was as an educator, housing and health planner, and administrative services manager for Polk County Social Services. She has actively served on numerous community boards and commissions in her children’s schools, church, political and civic organizations for 35 years.

The Eychaner Foundation is excited to announce Iowa's 2013 Matthew Shepard Scholars.

Maggi Brown from Osage, Allison Kayser from Cedar Rapids, Nadia Loeppke from Dubuque, Tyler Nyhus from Huxley, Sam Pitt from Williamsburg, Christopher Reising from Le Mars, Jade Riley from Sioux City and Shelby Woolison from Davenport have been named 2013 Silver Matthew Shepard Scholars. Ella Daft from Newton, Dan Kauble from Coralville and Christopher Krebill from Donnellson have been named Gold Matthew Shepard Scholars.

Iowa's Silver Matthew Shepard Scholarship is an award of up to $9,000 over four years and Iowa's Gold Matthew Shepard Scholarship is an award of up to $40,000 over four years.

Matthew Shepard Scholar and Broadway Performer Julius Carter is featured in the 23rd annual benefit concert for Broadway Bares.

Broadway Bares 23 is the latest installment of the hugely popular, annual burlesque show and benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Julius is a 2003 Matthew Shepard Scholar and a 2007 University of Iowa graduate. He performs in Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark on Broadway.

Dennis and Judy Shepard will Keynote Iowa's 2013 Matthew Shepard Scholarship Awards Dinner on Friday, June 7th in Des Moines, Iowa.

Dennis and Judy Shepard are the parents of Matthew Shepard, the 21-year-old college student who was kidnapped, savagely beaten and left to die in 1998, because he was gay.

His death invigorated people around the world to protest anti-gay rhetoric, violence and bigotry. The Shepards recently completed a five-country, two-week Eastern European outreach trip with the US State Department sharing their story and working to expand LGBT rights and protections.

Tickets are on sale now for the Awards Dinner at http://www.mssad.org.

Matthew Shepard Scholar Kyle Woollums will receive a 2013 John Karn Volunteer of the Year Award from One Iowa. Woollums is being honored for his volunteer work at the University of Northern Iowa.

The Eychaner Foundation is honored to present Simply 60 a benefit for Iowa's Matthew Shepard Scholarship Program!

Join us in celebrating the 60th birthdays of Lucy Jackson and Jessica Tyler at the BIGGEST Show and Party of the year on Saturday, March 30th!

Jessica Tyler has raised funds for many nonprofits and charities for 41 years and Lucy Jackson has raised funds for 15 years.

This year Jessica and Lucy were asked to be reign mothers to the 20th reign of Iowa. They choose the Iowa's Matthew Shepard Scholarship Program as the charity to support. To date they have raised over $14,000.00 for the scholarship program.

Tables and Tickets are available now starting at only $20. Order your tickets now at http://simply60.eychanerfoundation.org.

Ten scholars have earned Academic Scholarship Bonuses for their exceptional academic efforts during the 2012 Fall Semester. Matthew Shepard Scholars may earn an additional $500 per semester for achieving exceptional academic results.

Scholars receiving a Scholarship Bonus for the 2012 Fall Semester are: