WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – On Monday, September 23, the Willie Stargell Foundation announced the recipients of scholarships awarded to two nursing students from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW).
The scholarships were granted to Sara Akhtar, an undergraduate majoring in public health, and Martha Pinion Bischof, who is pursuing a degree in nursing practice.
The foundation raises funds through its annual celebrity invitational, aimed at supporting local individuals living with kidney disease and facilitating research in the field. With approximately 35 million Americans affected by kidney disease, many diagnosed in advanced stages, the scholarships will enable the students to concentrate on kidney-related research. “The funds raised during the celebrity invitational are directed straight to patients, research, and students who are pivotal in advancing research and community involvement,” Bischof noted.
The Willie Stargell Foundation was established by Margaret Weller-Stargell after the passing of her husband, Baseball Hall of Fame member Willie Stargell, who died from kidney failure in 2001.
The organization’s primary fundraising event, the Willie Stargell Celebrity Invitational, is set to take place during the first weekend of November.
