Hugh A. Martin
Memorial Scholarship Fund
History of the Fund:
- The Hugh A. Martin Memorial Scholarship Fund was named in recognition of an El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPSO) deputy sheriff who was killed in the line of duty, on April 13, 1992, during a narcotics raid by the S.W.A.T. team.
- The Fund, the first of its kind available to employees of the EPSO, was established in May 1995.
- It is also the first known scholarship opportunity of its kind throughout the entire State of Colorado.
- The charter members are Ollie and Eddie Gray, Richard Durham, and Jim Berger. Chief Paul Zani is the Sheriff's Office liaison to the Fund Board.
- The Hugh A. Martin Scholarship Fund was set up as a non-profit corporation, 501(c)(3), with in-kind contributions by attorney Howard J. Alpern and CPA Catherine M. Skiles.
Goal of the Hugh Martin Scholarship Fund:
- To advance higher education levels of EPSO employees, both sworn and non-sworn, so that they may more effectively and professionally serve the El Paso County community, by allowing for state-of-the-art education and information technology in the public safety realm.
Objective:
- To enable employees to better communicate ideas and concepts to their co-workers and to the community.
- To supplement the rising costs of college tuition, thereby enabling some employees to attend classes who might not otherwise have been able to attend due to cost.
The Application Process:
- The Fund is a tuition reimbursement, with an acceptable passing grade. Applicants are required to write an essay describing their need, their contributions to our community, and a brief description of their educational and career goals.
- Applications are then submitted to the Fund Board for review and selection of recipients.
Future Goals:
- Eventually, we would like the Hugh Martin Scholarship Fund to be expanded to the children of employees.
- The Board intends the fund to eventually become self-sufficient.
Conclusion:
- The purpose of the Hugh Martin Scholarship Fund is to help the community we serve by providing for higher levels of education and skills, for the most professional and effective service possible.
- The program helps accomplish the goal of providing the highest quality service to the community while minimizing taxpayer dollars.
- The Hugh A. Martin Memorial Scholarship program has proven to be a valuable asset in enhancing the educational opportunities for all employees of the EPSO.
- We are proud to honor the memory of Deputy Hugh Martin by making dreams of higher education a reality for the men and women who serve the citizens of El Paso County.
How You Can Help:
- Businesses and citizens of the community can make a tax-deductible contribution and a receipt will be provided.
- Contributions can be made payable to:
Hugh A. Martin Scholarship Fund
4230 Bromley Place
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
- Employees can also make contributions through payroll deduction.
- Thank you for your support of this worthwhile scholarship program.