A total of $30,000 in scholarships was given by one organization alone last week during Demopolis High School’s Awards Day, but it wasn’t a big corporation or higher education institution that doled out the money – it was a small, local, non-profit organization known as the Demopolis Council of Church Women.

The group, which runs the Bargain Box on Washington Street in Demopolis, handed out six $5,000 scholarships to Samantha Farnham, Donald Jones, Michael McKinney, Daphne Reid, Audrey Williams and Christopher Cupit.

The local ministry survives on the items sold at Bargain Box, much of which sells for $1 or less.

“We’re able to do it because we have approximately 40 women who volunteer their time,” commented one volunteer. The Bargain Box is community service at its best.

The $30,000 was a portion of the $667,604 in scholarship money that has been awarded to DHS seniors this year. Among those awarded or recognized during Awards Day May 13 were:

Canebrake Players certificates were awarded to J.T. Lawson, Justin King, Rita Merriweather, Olivia Marlowe, Casey Morrison, Naporshia Jackson, Elizabeth Hamilton, Mallory Mason and Roseanne Fish; The Alabama Association of School Office Personnel awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Daphne Reid; Senior band members Hannah Keel, Lakethia Collins, Shatoria Harris, Shenteria Bruno, Jeremy Merriweather and Audrey Williams were recognized for their service to the band, while Michael Gates received the Outstanding Senior Band Member Award and Alicia Broadhead and Lorraine Cherry each received $125 Band Service Award Scholarships; Alicia Broadhead and Elizabeth Hamilton were recognized for their participation in Marengo County Junior Miss 2005 and 2005 Marengo County Junior Miss Elizabeth Hamilton was awarded a $3,000 scholarship; Angela Carter and Mallory Mason were recognized for their service as Marengo Maids; The Kiwanis Club of Demopolis awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Elizabeth Hamilton while its high school counterpart, Key Club, awarded Brittany McGhee and Krista Mullins each a $600 scholarship for their service to the club; Morning Star Baptist Church presented Audrey Williams with a $3,000 scholarship; Pilot Club of Demopolis awarded $700 scholarships to Christopher Cupit and Ray Williams; the DHS Anchor Club recognized its senior members, President Mallory Mason and Jennifer Parten; the DHS math department recognized American Mathematics Competition winners Colby Roberts and second place winners William Meador and Clarke Kirby and awarded Daphne Reid the Outstanding Math Student Award; Michael Gates received a $100,000 Air Force ROTC Scholarship from the University of Alabama; Joyce Buroker, Christopher Wasson and Lindsey Cross each received a Troy University Chancelor’s Award Scholarship for a total of $18,096; the University of West Alabama presented Jessica Thomasson, Joyce Buroker and Brittany McGee with its Trustee Scholarships for a total of $6,000; Fellowship of Christian Athletes senior members Joyce Buroker, Lindsey Cross, Roseanne Fish, Lindsey Gordy, Joe Harvill, Hannah Keel, Darrell Kent, Clarke Kerby, William Meador, Brittany McGee, April Moore, Krista Mullins, Matthew Phillips, Robyn Salter, Chris Wasson and Bryan Yeager were recognized and Hannah Keel was named the Outstanding FCA Member; Auburn University awarded a $20,000 Freshman Presidential Scholarship and a $4,000 Leadership Recognition Scholarship to Clarke Kerby, a $19,312 Freshman Academic Scholarship, a $4,000 License to Learn scholarship and a $6,600 Alabama Textile Education Foundation Engineering Scholarship to William Meador; Christopher Wasson was awarded the Harry S. Truman History Award by the DHS History Department; Shenteria Bruno, Paul Sager and George Hudson were each awarded a $2,500 Alabama Southern Community College Leadership Scholarship while Jay Welch and Marshall McDowell each received a $3,000 Alabama Southern Technical Olympics Scholarship; Daryl Noah was presented with the Computer Club President Award Gift of $50; Elliott Glass, Tiffany Courtney, Mallory Mason and Kelley McGahey were recognized for their participation in the DECA State Competion, while Tiffany Courtney was recognized as DECA President and Mallory Mason was presented with the National Marketing Education Award; Vann Waldrop walked away with $22,000 in scholarship money from the University of Alabama including the President’s Cabinet Scholarship, Engineering Scholars Day Award, Alumni Heritage Scholarship and Alumni Scholarship Award; The Reading Club of Demopolis awarded $500 scholarships to Angela Carter and Naporshia Jackson; Lindsey Gordy, Angela Carter, Sandy Mays, Robyn Salter, Darryl Norah, Lane Eaves and Naporshia Jackson were recognized for their participation on the yearbook staff while Sandy Mays received the Editor Award; Vincent Jackson, Nyiesha Rahn, Angela Carter, Lakethia Collins and Maurice Davis each received $1,000 Theo Ratliff Award Scholarships; Angela Carr, SADD president, was awarded the SADD Outstanding Member award; Brittany McGee was recognized as the Beta Club President and Outstanding Senior Member; J.T. Lawson received the Student Council President Award; Devin Goodwin and Gabrielle Essex received U.S. Army Scholar Athlete Awards while Michael Gates received the JROTC Top Cadet Award; New Morning Star Baptist Church awarded Shatoria Harris the Aurelia Brown Music Scholarship; Solid Rock Ministries awarded $100 scholarships to Rita Merriweather, G.W. Washington, Michael McKinney, J.T. Lawson, Audrey Williams, Angela Carter, Ashley Boone, Daryl Norah, Shenteria Bruno, Daphne Reid, Lindsey Cross, Naporshia Jackson, Shatoria Harris, Donald Jones and Joy Wilson; Naporshia Jackson received an Alabama A&M University Scholarship; Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital Auxiliary awarded Jessica Thomasson the Carolyn S. (Betty) McCormick Memorial Scholarship of $1,000; Judson College presented Robyn Salter and Erin Walters with the Achievement Grant and Cameo Scholarship for a total of $7,352 while Melissa Cook received the Vocal Scholarship and Cameo Scholarship for a total of $10,352; University of Alabama at Huntsville presented J.T. Lawson and Samantha Farnham with Academic Excellence Scholarships for a total of $7,200 and Donald Jones with a $6,000 Academic Excellence Scholarship; The DHS Science Department presented Daphne Reid with the Melba Levy Arnold Science Award and Samantha Farnham with the Pat Harper Hinson Physics Award; The DHS English Department presented Kelley McGahey with the Wynell Gilmore Gantt Award and $100 award; The DHS Drama Club presented Kelley McGahey with the Most Outstanding Female Performer Award and Bryan Yeager with the Most Outstanding Male Performer; Lydia Bedsole received a $26,000 Barry University Grant Scholarship; Christopher Cupit received a $500 Old Belmont Church Youth Scholarship; Kelley McGahey and Daphen Reid received the Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals Honor Awards; Daphne Reid also received a $3,000 Auburn University-Montgomery Academic Recognition Scholarship and was recognized as a Birmingham Post-Herald 2005 Alabama All-State Academic Team Nominee; Kelley McGahey was awarded the Birmingham-Southern College Greensboro Scholarship, Alabama State Tuition Grant and Valedictorian Scholarship for a total of $35,800; William Meador received the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship worth $6,000; Seth Basinger and Brittany McGee were recognized as Wendy’s High School Heisman Nominees; Mallory Mason received a $1,000 scholarship from the Study Club of Demopolis; Bryan Yeager received an $18,000 University of Mobile Dean’s Scholarship; Donald Jones and J.T. Lawson received the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity African-American Male Image Awards; J.T. Lawson and Daphne Reid received the Kappa Alpha Si Awards; Clarke Kerby was the Bryant-Jordan Scholar Athlete Class 4A Regional Scholarship Award winner for $1,500 and received a $1,000 Alabama Cattlemen’s Association Tagged for Greatness Scholarship; Chris Wasson received a Bryant-Jordan Student Athlete chievement Award Regional Scholarship for $1,500 and Class 4A State Winner for $3,000 as well as the SportQuest Honorable Mention Christian Athlete All-American Award; Erin Walters was awarded the West Texas A&M University Residential Hall Scholarship and Jimmie L. Green Memorial Scholarship for a total of $4,000; Darrell Kent was awarded the Samford University Alabama Student Grant, Minister Dependent Scholarship and Founders Scholarship for a total of $19,800 as well as the State Youth Speakers Tournament Winner Scholarship for $24,000; Vann Waldrop received the Shelton State Community College Summer Studies Scholarship for $2,000; Additional scholarships awarded by Theo Ratliff at New Morning Star and Eastern Star Baptist Churches were Ashley Boone, Audrey Williams, Gabrielle Essex, Michael McClain and Ray Williams, each of whom received a $1,000 scholarship; The honor line, consisting of the top 15 students in the Class of 2005, includes Kelley McGahey, valedictorian, Daphne Reid, salutatorian, William Meador, Lindsey Cross, J.T. Lawson, Samanth
a Farnham, Seth Basinger, Clarke Kerby, Brittany McGee, Colby Roberts, Joyce Buroker, Vann Waldrop, Elizabeth Hamilton, Jessica Thomasson and Darrell Kent.

Additionally, the following athletic scholarships were announced: Seth Basinger, Chad Schroeder and Devin Goodwin each received baseball scholarships to Lurleen B. Wallace Community College worth $6,644; Gabrielle Essex received a basketball scholarship to Shelton State Community College for $6,644; Brittany McGee received an $8,000 scholarship to play softball at the University of West Alabama; Bart Pettus received an $18,096 scholarship to play baseball at Troy University; Colby Roberts received the Mississippi College Football/Academic Scholarship for $35,000; G.W. Washington received a $6,800 scholarship to play baseball at Central Alabama Community College; Ray Williams received a $49,576 University of Tennessee-Martin Football Scholarship and was recognized as the Class 4A Track&Field Shot Put State Champion.