SFW Has Donated More Than $340,000 to Students in Monterey’s Salinas Valley
SALINAS, California – June 4, 2019 – Scheid Family Wines is proud to announce the winners of the 2019 Scheid Writing Contest. Now celebrating its 31st anniversary in Monterey’s Salinas Valley, the program has donated more than $340,000 to scholarships for local high school students.
The Scheid Writing Contest was originally created by Al Scheid in 1984 for his high school alma mater, Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio. He launched the contest to give back to the community and aid motivated high school students who wanted to attend college. Four years later, convinced that the local schools in the Salinas Valley could benefit from the contest, Al brought it to King City High School. Greenfield High School—built on land that was formerly vineyards owned by Scheid—was added to the program in 2001.
Al has always believed the ability to communicate ideas effectively is the key to success. He created the writing contest to give students the opportunity to fully delve into a subject. Each year, the winners are chosen based on their ability to research and write a 3-5-page essay on a given topic. Past topics have included the legalization of marijuana, whether vaccines should be mandatory, the pros and cons of the Electoral College and immigration reform. Separate scholarships are awarded for each grade level.
This year’s topic was The Effects of Social Media on Journalism. Participants were asked to evaluate the positive and negative effects of information being spread so quickly through social networks. They were also asked to discuss the rise of citizen or “guerilla” journalists and their effects on traditional media.
“Scheid Family Wines has been sponsoring the Scheid Writing Contest for many years, as a way to support our community and give back to our local-area high schools,” said Heidi Scheid, Executive Vice President of Scheid Family Wines and a member of the annual judging team. “The idea to hold a writing contest started with my father, Al Scheid. The winners this year did an excellent job tackling a difficult topic and we congratulate them on their achievement.”
The total awards distribution for the 2019 Scheid Writing Contest was $17,350. The Senior winners from King City High School were: Karina Aguirre- 1st Place; Ivy Hearne- 2nd Place; Jessie Steele – 3rd Place; Rachel Wilkens – 4th Place. The Senior winners from Greenfield High School were: Sandy Calderon – 1st Place; Ruby Lara ‑ 2nd Place; Crystelle Vargas 3rd Place; Adilene Bedolla‑ 4th Place
About Scheid Family Wines
Scheid Family Wines has farmed wine grapes in Monterey County, California since 1972. With 4,000 acres of sustainably certified vineyards located along a 70-mile spread of the Salinas Valley and a state-of-the-art winery, Scheid Family Wines is fully integrated to bring high quality estate grown wines to the marketplace. The Scheid Family Wines nationally distributed portfolio includes Scheid Vineyards, District 7, Ryder Estate, Ranch 32, Metz Road, VDR, Stokes’ Ghost and Roku. In addition, Scheid Family Wines produces over 20 regionally distributed brands for specific clients or distributors. For more information please visit www.scheidfamilywines.com.
