The Renee Mahrt Memorial Scholarship Fund
This fund was started in August of 2005 by Cathy & Dan Mahrt in memory of the sudden passing of their late daughter Renee. The established purpose of the fund is to provide annual college scholarships to MHS Senior girls who participated in and demonstrated a commitment to either track or cross country during high school.
Renee Mahrt
The Renee Mahrt Memorial Scholarship is annually awarded to a worthy Morton High School female student track or cross country participant pursuing a college education. The scholarship has been established to assist a deserving student who desires to pursue a college education. Should girl’s track and cross country be discontinued at some time in the future, student(s) interested in fashion design and/or social work are to be considered for the scholarship.
Miss Mahrt enjoyed running, sewing and designing clothes, and looked forward to the return of her fiance, who was serving in Iraq at the time of her untimely death. A 2004 graduate of Morton High School, she was a member of the cross country and track teams. She also was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Morton, where she belonged to the youth group and Catholic Heart Workcamp.
Renee was a 19-year-old Illinois State University junior, and was attending classes year-round in hopes of graduating early with a degree in fashion design. On December 3, 2005, while on her way to visit a friend in Chicago, her car spun out of control in icy conditions and struck a disabled vehicle parked along the road. She died of her injuries early the next Sunday morning, December 4, 2005.
Her parents, Dan & Cathy Mahrt, along with her sister Laura, established this scholarship in her memory.
Qualifications for this Scholarship:
Must be a senior who will be attending college or a university.
The female student must have participated in and demonstrated a commitment to track or cross country at MHS.
She must have demonstrated the following attributes on and off the field: Positive attitude, Encourages others, Charitable, Free spririted, Dedicated runner, Hard working, Compassionate, Fun loving, Non-judgemental/Open-minded, Role model to underclassmen.
Financial need may be considered but is not the primary consideration in the selection process.
HOW TO APPLY:
Morton High School students who feel they may qualify for this scholarship can pick up an application in the Morton High School counseling office beginning in mid-February each year. Applications must be filled out and submitted to the counseling office in mid-March. You may inquire in the counseling office for specific pickup dates and deadlines each year.
If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to this endowment fund, please click the button below for online donations. Or, you can mail a check to 135 S First Avenue, Morton, IL 61550.
**Prefer to make a tax-advantaged gift of stock instead of cash? Visit our stock gifting page.**
To make a tax-deductible donation to this endowment fund, you can:
Donate by check: Make it payable to Morton Community Foundation and mail it to 135 S First Ave, Morton, IL 61550. Please write “Renee Mahrt Scholarship” on the memo line.
Make a tax-advantaged gift of stock…Visit our stock gifting page by clicking HERE.
For more ways to give, CLICK HERE.
Give online by clicking the button below.
Your gift may qualify you for a 25% Illinois State Tax Credit!
Are you a Caterpillar Employee or Retiree?
The Caterpillar Foundation is proud to offer the year-round Matching Gifts Program to support their employees, U.S. retirees and board of directors in their contributions to worthy causes. Eligible Caterpillar participants may request an annual total maximum 1:1 match of $10,000 USD each calendar year to eligible charities to which contributions are tax deductible. The Morton Community Foundation is an eligible charity. So, if you are an eligible Caterpillar participant, you may submit any donations to this fund for an equivalent match, up to your total maximum of $10,000 per year. CLICK HERE to link to the Caterpillar Foundation’s Matching Gift website.