PRESS RELEASE - Scholarship Winners Announced!

Two range students benefit from the 3rd annual 10k “Lard Loop” race 

TOWER, MN – May 23, 2010

As a result of the 3rd annual Tower “Lard Loop” memorial 10k race held last August, two deserving high school students have again been selected as recipients of the Ballard Turnbull Memorial Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each.

The Ballard Turnbull scholarship committee is pleased to announce this year’s winners: Chelsea Hultman of Ely Memorial High School and Mackenzie Reing of Cook High School. Valerie Lenci presented each of the ladies with their scholarships last week. Funds for the scholarships were raised at “Lard Loop” 10k event in August 2009. This year’s event will be held July 31st.

The “Lard Loop” is a fun athletic event in which athletes, or “weekend warriors”, can run, walk, bike, blade, or even crawl, around “The Horn,” a 10K loop that starts and ends in Tower, passing by beautiful Lake Vermilion and neighboring Soudan. The “Lard Loop” was started by friends and family of Ballard Turnbull, the Tower Area Ambulance Service supervisor who lost his battle with cancer August 8, 2006. 



Scholarship applicants submitted information about their desired career path in a medical-related field and responded to three essay questions. Essay topics included the candidate’s motivation for pursuing their chosen field of medical study, the characteristics that will make them successful, and reflection on a person who has influenced their desire to make a difference in the world.

The winners were selected from a pool of 20 applicants by the 4-person scholarship committee. There were many impressive and inspiring applications. “I was in tears after the first one,” said committee member Christina Mish. “Chelsea and Mackenzie really stood out for all of us,” reported Darla LeDoux, also on the committee.

Mackenzie intends to complete her Pre-Medicine degree at the University of Minnesota. Both of her parents volunteer for the Cook Area Ambulance Service, and she has seen first hand the qualities that allow someone to be successful when dealing with medical emergencies. She eventually plans to become a surgeon, and to use her perseverance, positivity, and respect for patients to provide great service in this role.
Chelsea also intends to become a doctor. She will be attending the University of Wisconsin at Madison this fall for Biochemistry. Chelsea is motivated by her experience with cancer in her family to pursue a medical career. She learned about the difference a positive attitude can make when dealing with illness, and she began work as a nursing assistant when she was 15.

Readers are invited to participate in the fourth annual “Lard Loop” 10k event to be held in Tower July 31, 2010. Applications and event information can be found online at www.ballardturnbull.org. Businesses or individuals who would like to help with this year’s race with sponsorship, raffle donations, or volunteering can leave a message on the website or call 218-780-1503.