Scholarship Program

The Pasadena Police Officers Association Scholarship Awards Program, initiated in 1989 with a $2,000 check donated by movie producer Brian Grazer, grew out of a desire to give back to the community we serve. It was through this desire that our scholarship program was born. We're proud to award scholarship funds to graduating seniors who desire a college education, but need financial assistance to further their educational goals.

We initially established that a minimum of two awards would be given each year, but that number  has since increased to four: two police awards (in the amounts of $500 and $1,000) given to dependents of current or retired police officers, and two community awards (in the amounts of $500 and $1,000) given to Pasadena high school seniors planning to major in the law enforcement field. This year was the first year that two scholarships totaling $500 each were awarded in memory of Officer Lloyd M. Kirby, who passed away in June  2010. In lieu of flowers, his family requested that donations be made to the PPOA Scholarship Program in his memory. Also, the family has graciously agreed to add to the remaining funds to ensure future scholarships are granted in his memory.

Since 1989, the PPOA has assisted 71 graduates by awarding $61,750 to support their educations. In the past, these awards have been funded by charity chili cook-offs and charity runs to Palm Springs. Former Officer Lyle Wilson established an annual endowment of $1,000 in his name from 1991 to 2003. Currently, we have one community sponsor, but would welcome any additional financial support of our efforts to assist qualified recipients in meeting their educational goals.