Self received almost $260 from the grant to help pay for hearing aid batteries and medical bills.

“I was over $2,000 in debt but managed to get Medicaid and the grant to pay it all off,” she wrote in an e-mail.

The fair will be set up like a carnival with 20 different booths containing a variety of activities including pie throws, potato sack races, face painting and a tug-of-war. There also will be cotton candy and hot dogs.

Allyson Wisdom, a senior from Roswell, started raising money for the grant last year in an effort to bring her sorority’s national philanthropic efforts to a more local level.

“I saw how the girls didn’t get excited about money being raised because nobody saw where it went,” she said.

Since January, the Turtle Grant has raised $2,000 and helps recipients pay for a variety of needs, such as hearing aid batteries, interpreter fees, minor medical aid and school-related needs.

The amount each recipient receives varies, Wisdom said.

“We take into account how much money is needed and how much we have,” she said.

So far, she said the grant has been able to help every person who has applied for it.

Although the grant began only recently, Self said she thinks the grant has a bright future.

“I think this program will do great and keep doing good for others,” she wrote. “I was very impressed with how they handled everything and very pleased with the results.

By Abbi Libers
http://www.redandblack.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/03/31/442cb0973dbf2