SNA’s Sidney B. Meadows Fund Announces New Sally Smith Scholarship
The Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Fund, created in 1989 by the Southern Nursery Association (SNA), has announced the creation of a new named scholarship to honor Alta Marie “Sally” Smith. The scholarship is being fully-funded by Sally Smith Wall to memorialize her mother. Mrs. Smith, the wife of Greg Smith, Sr., of Flowerwood Nursery, passed away April 15, 1987.
Sally Wall said, “I have very fond memories of Mr. Sidney Meadows and I cannot think of a better way to honor my mother than to establish this new scholarship in her name. The horticulture industry has been built upon a foundation of family-owned nurseries and both fathers and mothers have had important roles throughout the decades. It brings joy to me to honor my mother in this way.”
“We want to thank Ms. Wall for making this important contribution to the foundation to honor her mother. Every year, beginning in 2022, when we hand out the Sally Smith Scholarship, we will be making a critical investment in one of our brightest horticulture students and future industry leaders,” said Danny Summers, Executive Vice President of the fund. “I remember the very first phone conversation I had with Sidney in January 1989 when he emphasized the importance of helping our students and he sent one of the very first checks to help establish the fund a few days later,” he added.
The financial support offered by the fund has allowed many students the opportunity to work toward their educational goals. With this past year’s awards, the fund has awarded a total of $576,000 since the fund was established in 1989. The fund’s current assets are now more than $1,030,000. With the addition of the Sally Smith Fund, nine named funds have now been pledged to date: The Larry D. Edwards Fund, the Dr. James & Faye Foret Fund, the Richard J. “Dick” Hackney Fund, Sr. Fund, the Lee C. Howell Fund, the Dr. Bryson L. James Fund, the Arthur A. “Buck” Jones Fund, the Art & Millie Lancaster Fund, the Sally Smith Fund and the Robert L. VanLandingham Fund.
Interested in establishing a Named Scholarship to honor a loved one, past industry leader or a company? Named Scholarships are established with a commitment for $30,000 with a minimum of $5,000 to begin and fulfillment over the next 5 years. Once fully-funded, a scholarship will be awarded annually in the designated name.
Interested in supporting horticultural students here in the Southeast? Simply visit our website for details. They will appreciate your support and the industry will see a return on investing in them for decades to come. Thank you in advance for your support!
Created in 1989 by the Southern Nursery Association (SNA), The Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund is a 501 (c) 3 corporation providing scholarships to students who are residents of the 16 southeastern states SNA represents – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia – pursuing a career in horticulture. The scholarship is dedicated to one of the most honored horticultural leaders, the late Sidney B. Meadows, a past president of the Southern Nursery Association, who was an avid supporter of student scholarships and believed that providing aid for students was an important way to ensure the growth and development of all facets of the industry. The fund derives its income from individual and corporate contributions and is governed by the Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund board of directors.
An application for 2022 scholarships will be available online by Jan. 1, 2022. Those interested in receiving scholarship information or the latest fund news can subscribe to the automated information system on the fund’s website. More details on scholarship recipients can be found at www.sbmsef.org.
For more information on the Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund, forward your inquiry to PO Box 801513, Acworth, GA 30101, 678.813.1880, [email protected] or visit www.sbmsef.org.