Lake Country Cruisers Community Outreach is getting attention.
Dateline: 4.28.22, Photo and newspaper article by Deborah Latter – While perusing through the April 27, 2022 edition of Highlands News-Sun‘s “Lake Placid – Local News – Your Town” section, I was pleasantly surprised to see the headline, “Lake Country Cruisers donates to SFSC Automotive programs”!
The week before, Deborah Letter, of the South Florida State College’s Office of Community Relations and Marketing, interviewed me about the Lake Country Cruisers. As you know, last March, thanks to YOUR SUPPORT, Lake Country Cruisers was able to donate $500 to the Bill Jarrett Automotive Scholarship Program. Bill Jarrett Ford is located on Rt. 27 in Avon Park, Florida.
South Florida State College’s Foundation Scholarships web page describes the Bill Jarrett Automotive Scholarship as such, “For full-time students who are a member of the SFSC Automotive Service Technology Program and/or a member of the SFSC Auto Body Repair and Refinishing Program”.
Pete, Ron, George, Christy, and I all felt this would be the perfect place for us, as “car people” to contribute to, in addition to the Veterans Council of Highlands County. This is part of Lake Country Cruisers’ community outreach effort. By the end of the year, our goal is to make another round of $500 donations to SFST and the Veterans Council of Highlands County.
When Deborah interviewed me I thought her article was just for the college’s social media, so on behalf of the Cruisers Team, a big THANKS!
The scans of the printed article are a little hard to read, so Deborah has allowed us to include her words below. When Ron and I went to the college on March 30, 2022, we thought we were going to drop off a bank check and have a quick peek of the college’s shop, and that would be that
Consequently, Lake Country Cruisers has picked up some media attention and we are working with the college on a Lake Country Cruisers Car Show at the college this September or October. When we get the date secured, we will let you know. – Scott, Ron, Pete, Christy, & George
Here is Deborah Latter’s article…
Lake Country Cruisers Donates to South Florida State College Automotive Programs
AVON PARK, Fla. – April 20, 2022 – Lake Country Cruisers, based in Lake Placid, Fla., has made it easier for Highlands County residents to attend South Florida State College’s (SFSC) Automotive programs.
Scott Teeters and Ron Ellerman, members of Lake Country Cruisers’ management team, recently visited SFSC’s Automotive Service Technology and Automotive Collision Technology Technician classrooms to learn about the facilities and speak directly with students.
While at the College, they presented a check in the amount of $500 to go toward the Bill Jarrett Automotive Scholarship through the SFSC Foundation. The check was presented to Jamie Bateman, executive director of institutional advancement, who oversees the SFSC Foundation; Dr. Thomas C. Leitzel, SFSC president; and Dr. Sidney Valentine, vice president for Academic Affairs and Student Services.
“When a young man or woman goes through vocational training, they learn skills that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives,” Teeters said. “Besides that, we need people to fix cars. One of the things that I told the students when we were at the College is, ‘Even though you’re learning to fix cars, you’re learning how to solve mechanical problems. Every one of you is eventually going to be a homeowner. When you own a home, there are all kinds of things to fix. Although you may not understand the fine details, you’ll know how to figure things out and work with your hands. You’ll learn skills at SFSC and take them with you for the rest of your lives and do things for other people.’”
Teeters and Ellerman only recently learned about the Bill Jarrett Automotive Scholarship. “We want to let members of Lake Country Cruisers know that it’s available for people who want to know all about cars just like we did when we were young,” Teeters said. “The donation to this scholarship fits into Lake Country Cruisers’ community outreach. That’s something else that we wanted to do: give back to the community. We’re very happy to be associated with the College.”
“We are so grateful to the Lake Country Cruisers and their support of our Automotive Program,” said Bateman. “The best part of our job is finding new friends from the community, inviting them to tour our campus, and then watch their reactions. They stand in awe of how great our College is. Many who have visited often leave saying, “I never knew the College offered this.” When we can spread the good word of what the College is doing in our community, it ensures that we will be able to continue offering opportunities of higher education to students for generations to come.”
The Bill Jarrett Automotive Scholarship provides full tuition and fees for one student each year in the SFSC Automotive Service Technology program and one student each year in the SFSC Automotive Collision Technology Technician program. Criteria for the scholarship are that the student must be accepted or currently enrolled in the respective program, they must receive a recommendation from the SFSC instructor of the program, and they must interview with representatives of the SFSC Division of Applied Sciences and Technologies and with representatives from Bill Jarrett Ford if requested by the program instructor.
Preference is given to applicants demonstrating financial need and a strong commitment to completing the respective program. To apply for a scholarship, visit the SFSC Financial Aid Office or southflorida.edu/support-sfsc/foundation-scholarships.
Lake Country Cruisers is a car club that has produced car shows since 2003 and is open to anyone who enjoys car culture. Lake Country Cruisers Car Shows are held every month from October through May, every second Saturday of the month, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lake Placid American Legion Post 25. Lake Country Cruisers Car Shows are open to all kinds of cars: antique, vintage cars, classic cars, muscle cars, street rods, pickup trucks, rat rods, sports cars, and foreign cars.
The club will soon open the shows up to motorcycles. Plans are in the works to host the Lake Country Cruisers for a car show on SFSC’s Highlands Campus sometime in the fall. For more on the Club, visit LakeCountryCruisers.com.
SFSC offers a 12-month Automotive Collision Technology Technician Career Certificate and an 18-month Automotive Service Technology Career Certificate. For information about these programs, visit the SFSC website at southflorida.edu or call the Advising and Counseling Office at 863-784-7131.