Sandpoint Sharks announce scholarship program

SANDPOINT — The Sandpoint Sharks swim team recently announced the launch of the Sandpoint Sharks Scholarship Program, an exciting new initiative created to make swimming more accessible to local athletes.

“Thanks to a recent Kinderhaven grant we received, we were able to create this scholarship program,” Sandpoint Sharks Board Secretary Bri Staglund said. “Participating in any sport can get expensive. If we can help get more athletes into the pool who are restricted by funding — we’ve succeeded.”

The Sandpoint Sharks Scholarship Program is designed to offer financial assistance up to the amount of $500 per season. The funding will be applied to membership dues and/or meet fees.

“We’ve come up with a system that allows us to share the grant money among several athletes,” Staglund said. “A committee of local swim enthusiasts has been created to review submissions and award the scholarships.”

Anyone interested in applying for the Sandpoint Sharks Scholarship Program can find the application at https://www.sandpointsharks.com/page/team-documents. This program is available to new swimmers interested in joining the team or current members who could use the financial help. The deadline to apply is January 18, 2025.

Because this scholarship was created through grant funding, recipients must commit to fundraising to replenish the fund.

“We are hoping to make this an on-going offering,” Staglund said. “We know there is a need in our community and we are grateful to Kinderhaven for getting us started. Our goal is to help as many athletes as we can, for as long as we can.”

For more information about the Sandpoint Sharks Scholarship Program, or to learn more about the team, please visit www.sandpointsharks.com, or contact head coach Emily Renzini at [email protected].