Oregon Club Awards $621K in Scholarships Over 68 Years

For nearly seven decades, a small coastal Oregon community has been proving that big change doesn't require big cities.

The Tillamook Kiwanis Club kicked off its 68th annual KT Days Scholarship Drive this month, continuing a tradition that has awarded more than $621,000 in college scholarships to 560+ students since 1958. This year, the club aims to raise $21,000 during March to support graduating seniors from three local high schools and homeschooled students across Tillamook County.

Last year alone, 14 students received scholarships to help them afford college. The awards ceremony happens each May and June during Senior Awards Night at Nestucca, Neah-Kah-Nie, and Tillamook High Schools.

What started as a simple idea to help local kids has quietly transformed into a multigenerational legacy. Students who once received these scholarships now have families of their own in the community.

The scholarship program runs entirely on community donations, with all contributions being tax-deductible. The foundation relies on neighbors helping neighbors, creating a ripple effect of opportunity that touches nearly every family in the county.

The Ripple Effect

The real magic happens long after students walk across the graduation stage. Many scholarship recipients return to Tillamook County as teachers, nurses, business owners, and community leaders. They bring their education home, strengthening the very place that invested in their dreams.

For a rural coastal community, $621,000 represents countless hours of fundraising dinners, donation drives, and dedicated volunteers who believe education changes everything. It's a reminder that sustainable change comes from consistent action, not grand gestures.

The club meets weekly at noon at the Rendezvous Restaurant in Tillamook, where anyone can join the effort. They're accepting donations now through the end of March, with every dollar going directly to scholarship awards.

In an era when college costs continue climbing and rural communities face unique challenges, Tillamook's 68-year commitment shows what's possible when neighbors refuse to let financial barriers stop bright students from reaching their potential.