Estelle Ford Nursing Scholarship

Who We Are

The Estelle R. Ford Future Nurses Scholarship exists to encourage excellence in nursing, character, leadership and community service in the Central Massachusetts area.

Here's the Story behind the Story.....

Our mom, Estelle, was someone who always thought of others needs before her own. She took the greatest pleasures from the simplest of things throughout her life. She loved, LOVED being a nurse and had a special affinity for all the kids - not just her own. She started the Future Nurses Club at Gardner High School in the 1960's and was the mentor for the program for 22 years. A reflection of her passion is a result of a significant number of nurses, and other medical professionals, in the greater Gardner area, telling you they became a nurse, or went into the medical field, because of her.

As she entered into the last months of her life, she told her daughter, Marge, that she wanted to do something "BIG" for Gardner but didn’t know what to do. A few weeks later, Marge suggested starting a scholarship, in her name, for nursing students. Mom was elated and excited. She asked, "Would you do that?"

.....the answer was obvious and here we are......

What We Do

In December of 2016, the Estelle R. Ford Future Nurses Scholarship Fund gave away their first scholarship to a 4th year nursing student who will be serving the community. This was 6 months after Estelle's passing. We now do three events per year to raise money for the scholarship fund. A dinner and raffle in the Fall, a dinner buffet and silent auction in the Spring and an Arts and Music Festival in the Summer.

Since we are a 501C3 non-profit, all of the money we raise goes toward scholarships.

That is the story of how this scholarship fund came to be

......it started almost 95 years ago, on October 29, 1921.......

Beth, Marge, John (Bob)