The Car Care Council Women’s Board (WB) will award a record amount of $50,000 in scholarships to deserving female students studying to enter the auto care industry in 2016. The WB raised more than $15,000 in its first-ever 5k/Fun Run fundraiser, Scholarship Strides, with all proceeds contributing to its annual scholarship program, during the recent 2016 Women’s Board Winter Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla.

“Each year we strive to increase the amount of scholarships we can give and the success of this fundraiser shows how much our membership takes that to heart,” said Vonda Lee, Women’s Board Education and Development Committee chair. “This year we managed to nearly double the $28,000 that we awarded in 2015.”

In 2015, the WB gave away eight scholarships, four to postsecondary students and four to high school students. The Becky Babcox Women’s Board scholarship recipient, a postsecondary student, received $5,000, and a trip to the 2015 Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) in Las Vegas, Nev.

The Scholarship Strides fundraiser collected donations online from industry members as well as friends and family of the WB membership and conference attendees. The scholarship program is also funded by additional donations, sponsorships and a grant from the University of the Aftermarket Foundation.

The WB is now accepting applications online at www.automotivescholarships.com/WB/. The deadline is March 31, 2016. For more information, visit http://www.carcare.org/womens-board/scholarships/.

The Car Care Council Women’s Board is comprised of auto care professionals dedicated to providing opportunities, education and career leadership to women in the auto care industry. For more information about the Car Care Council Women’s Board, visit www.wbcarcare.com or email [email protected].