LEE COUNTY, Fla. - Lee Memorial Health System annually awards educational grants to employees and volunteers, their family members and local residents who are in financial need and interested in pursuing a career in a health-related profession. It is our hope that these grants will provide Lee Memorial Health System and our community with dedicated healthcare professionals to serve our growing patient care needs.

On Aug. 4, 2010 an awards ceremony will be held in the auditorium at South Fort Myers High School to distribute the grant funds from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. The auditorium is located at 14020 Plantation Road, South Fort Myers.

This year we are pleased to announce that 180 individuals have been awarded $215,000 to assist them in meeting their professional goals, while developing the next generation of healthcare providers.

These educational grants have been provided through fund raising efforts by:

Cape Coral Hospital Auxiliary

Lee Memorial Auxiliary

Gulf Coast Medical Center Auxiliary

and

The Lee Memorial Health System Foundation through the:

John T. Beckett Fund

Eloise M. Carlson Education Endowment Fund

Jim Nathan Endowment Fund

Nathan Family Educational Excellence Fund

Robert and Frances Feuchter Endowment for Nursing and Healthcare Education Scholarships

Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Nursing & Allied Health Profession Scholarship Fund

Madeleine R. Taeni Nursing Education Fund

Wachovia Nursing & Allied Health Professional Fund

Since the inception of the program in 1990, 1,403 grants have been awarded for a total of $1.89 million to local students in need for their health care careers. In addition, the Auxiliary at Gulf Coast Medical Center has raised and distributed $1.5 million dollars since 1974, prior to joining the LMHS family. The annual application process for the grants/scholarships takes place April 1-May 31.