March Scholarship Fundraiser!

Hi Everybody! It’s March! So far we have almost $5000 raised for the scholarships. I’ve been getting applications in the mail like crazy this last week. I’ve got 9 readers so far, if you want to volunteer to help read essays please send me a note. All essays will be judged in whatever way you think are best, scored 1-10, with 10 being the best. If I have to break any ties, it will lean in favor of students who need the money more. I’ll be emailing references and counselors to get that figured out.

To help with the scholarships (and get a chance at a free custom pen) all you have to do is buy a pack of postcards for $10. That’s 5 cards with a different piece of student art on the front of each one. Every penny raised from the sales will go towards the scholarships to help some deserving students with their college expenses. Many people struggle with this, so they go to the Common Scholarship App and other sources to help, and it can really transform a life. I know one of the kids who got a scholarship last year bought herself a nice little used car with her money! 🙂

Life as a student can be expensive and therefore scholarships can be incredibly helpful. There are other ways to make managing your finances easier too. For example, some students find that credit cards can be useful when it comes to making ends meet. You can learn more about credit cards for students on the Nova Credit website.

Anyway, congrats to Ray for winning last month’s pen drawing!

I will announce income for March and the winner of the custom pen on March 31st, as close to 9 PM Central US time as I can get.

The drawings are free for all to enter, from all parts of the world. No restrictions at all.

During the entire month of March, if you buy a pack of student art postcards you’ll automatically be entered to win a pen, just send $10 via paypal to @gmail.com and I’ll give you a number AND you’ll get a pack of postcards in the mail (so be sure to include your mailing address in the PayPal note). Every penny raised will go towards the scholarships and support students. Yes, you can buy as many postcard packs as you want, and for each pack, you’ll get a number.

The raffle itself is free. If you want to enter the raffle without supporting the scholarship (or getting any of those cool postcards) then all you have to do is send a note in the mail to:

Shawn Newton
PO Box 6084
Hot Springs, Ar. 71902

Everybody who enters will be given a number in the order of postcards purchased and letters in the mail, and at the end of the month I’ll draw a number to pick the winner of a custom pen. I use random.org as a number picker.

Raffle pens are limited to c/c filling system, steel nib of any size with any grind you want. If you want any extra customizations, bands or rings, special filling system, gold nib, or anything else, there will be normal charges.

If there are ANY questions, please do ask. If you have a suggestion about how to make things easier to explain or understand, please let me know. 🙂 This is all about the success of the scholarship and getting financial help to as many kids as we can.

If you want to help the fund without buying postcards, contact me through email, @gmail.com, for details.

Questions?
1. “I’m confused how do I buy? I see no buy button for the postcards.”

–There is no buy button. You just send $10 via paypal to @gmail.com along with a postal address and I send you a pack of cards and a free raffle number. If you type your address into the Note box, please use a comma to separate lines, otherwise your address will come to me as one long line, and I may not know where to break it up, especially for international addresses.

2. “Interesting idea. Is it open to non-USA residents? I couldn’t find information one way or the other, but postage costs must surely be an issue.”

–Open to everybody worldwide. International postage is only about $1.15 so not that bad.

3. “What kind of pen do I get if I win?”

–You get any model, any size, any nib grind, any material I have on hand. If you want a gold nib or special filling system (button, bulb, or piston) I ask that you pay for that. I’ll still cover shipping.

4. “How do I enter for free?”

–Send a note or postcard in the mail to me at
Newton Pens Free Raffle
PO Box 6084
Hot Springs, Ar. 71902

Include contact info like name and email or I won’t accept it. Nicknames/usernames don’t count. This is the same thing I tell my students at school: put your name on it or I can’t grade it! 🙂

5. “Who can get a scholarship? Art students only? Kids in Arkansas only? Kids at the school where you work only?”

–Right now the scholarship is open to any high school students going in to college, anywhere in the USA. Kids at any school can apply and receive a scholarship. Current college students are not eligible. Adults going back to school are not eligible.

You can browse my materials page for an idea of the materials I have on hand. If you win, and you want to see more, I’ll take more photos of my material stock.