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Flotilla committee seeks sponsor for students

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Students in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program at D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy will participate in the 32nd Annual Holiday Flotilla. Pres Davenport, the flotilla committee’s chairman, discussed the details during a meeting Tuesday, May 26.

“I met with principal Irizarry at D.C. Virgo. … They’re excited, as you’d expect them to be,” Davenport said.  “They think there’s no reason they can’t get the kids on a boat this year.”

Davenport also said the committee is seeking sponsors for the students.

“We’re going to need somebody to donate a boat,” he said.

Davenport said a portion of flotilla donations will benefit D.C. Virgo’s STEM program.

“What we’ve done is created this side entity where people who contributed above a certain threshold will be eligible for the STEP corporate cup sponsorship. A certain percentage of their donation goes to STEM education,” he said. “The exact break down of that varies based on how much money we raise, but they are guaranteed more than 50 percent.”

Davenport emphasized the importance of contributing to the school.

“D.C. Virgo is one of Wilmington’s most underprivileged schools. … People who contribute to that are not only contributing to education, but they’re contributing to the education of our community’s most in-need,” he said. “For businesses who want to invest in economic development of the community, there’s no better way to do that than to take the people who are struggling the most and help put them on a path to a more self-sustaining future.”

Committee member Jane Martin added this is D.C. Virgo’s first year as a STEM school.

“They don’t have a lot of money and they have a lot of need,” she said.

Davenport discussed other ways to spread awareness of Virgo’s lack of funding.

“We might display the students’ school projects during the Festival in the Park,” he said.

The next committee meeting will take place Monday, June 22 at 6 p.m.

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