The Agganis Foundation, which has been awarding scholarships in the name of legendary Lynn athlete Harry Agganis since 1985, will double the amount of the scholarships.
Starting this year, Agganis Foundation scholarship winners will receive $2,000 per year for each of the four years they are in college, resulting in an $8,000 scholarship.
“We realize the cost of college continues to rise astronomically and want to do as much as we can to assist those who earn our scholarships,” said Foundation Scholarship Committee chairman Tom Iarrobino. “We are especially pleased to be doubling the award in these economic times.”
Since the inception of the scholarship program, the Foundation has awarded $2,334,000 to 1,040 student-athletes.
“The longevity of the Foundation is something we are most proud of,” said Foundation President Andrew Demakes. “We humbly believe that the primary reason the legacy of Harry Agganis is so strong 68 years after his death is the work we have done through the scholarships and the All-Star Games that are played in his memory.”
There are nine Agganis All-Star Games played in June every year.
Agganis Foundation scholarships are available to students who live or attend school in: Lynn, Lynnfield, Marblehead, Nahant, Peabody, Salem, Saugus, or Swampscott. Minimum requirements include a 3.0 GPA, participation in a varsity sport and planned attendance at a 4-year college.
Boston students were eligible from 1999-2022 through grants provided by the Yawkey Foundation, which has provided more than $500,000 in grant funding to the Agganis Foundation over the years.
“We are sincerely grateful for the long-term partnership with the Yawkey Foundation,” Demakes said. “Due to their generosity, we have been able to award 88 scholarships to Boston students that would not have been possible. In 1999, we received what could have been a one-time grant. The fact that the collaboration endured more than 20 years is testament to the outstanding work they continue to do in memory of Tom and Jean Yawkey.”
Starting in 2023, there will be five scholarships for students living or going to school in Lynn and five from the other North Shore communities. The $80,000 annual commitment reflects an increase of 67 percent in those two areas.
“We continue to get positive feedback on the fact that our scholarships renew every year,” Iarrobino said. “It is not uncommon for students to receive multiple scholarships their senior year, but then they go away. Our recipients and their parents can rely on what they receive from us renewing every year.”
