Penn College

Volkswagen Owners Club adds $2K to automotive restoration scholarship

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Harrisburg Area Volkswagen (VW) Owners Club has again donated funds toward a scholarship for automotive restoration students at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

Deb Cyrus, president of the Harrisburg Area Volkswagen Owners Club, presents a $2,000 check to Roy H. Klinger, instructor of collision repair at Pennsylvania College of Technology, during a fall picnic in Harrisburg’s Fort Hunter Park. The money will be added to the club’s scholarship fund, which assists students in the college’s automotive restoration certificate program. Credit: Pennsylvania College of TechnologyAll Rights Reserved.

This year’s $2,000 check marks the fifth time that the organization – formed in 1992 and recognized as one of the oldest continually operating VW clubs on the East Coast – has contributed to the scholarship fund since it was established in 2017. Awards from the Harrisburg Area Volkswagen Owners Club Scholarship fund are meant for full-time students in the automotive restoration major who carry a minimum GPA of 2.5.

“The support from HAVOC is essential to the students’ pursuit of their certificate in automotive restoration,” said Roy H. Klinger, co-department head for collision repair technology and lead faculty member for restoration. “Their recognition of our program and the importance of instructing the future workforce of this industry through this scholarship has a great impact on our students. It has been a pleasure getting to know their members over the years.”

Klinger was invited by club President Deb Cyrus to the club’s fall picnic at Fort Hunter Park, Harrisburg, to receive the check and connect with HAVOC members.

“We have had a lot of fun events throughout the years, but are also proud and honored to make a difference with the charitable contributions we are able to give due to our successful Volkfest shows,” Cyrus said.

The first Volkfest, bringing together VW enthusiasts to showcase their vehicles and celebrate the Volkswagen’s part in the automotive industry, was held in 1993 at what was then Autohaus in Harrisburg. The event was moved to the Campbelltown Volunteer Fire Co. grounds in the early 2000s, then in 2013 to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire in Mount Hope.

“Penn College is extremely fortunate to have the Harrisburg Area Volkswagen Owners Club as partners of our automotive restoration program. Their support allows our students to develop their skills in restoration and carry on the tradition of honoring the craftsmanship and detailed beauty of classic cars,” said Chris S. Macdonald, assistant director of corporate relations. “We greatly appreciate all of their hard work to provide this scholarship award.”

Students who wish to apply for the Harrisburg Area Volkswagen Owners Club Scholarship – or any of the hundreds of scholarships administered by the Penn College Foundation – should complete an online application.

For more information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.

Last Updated October 14, 2021