Guinn Millennium contributions hit $92,000

Contributions to the Millennium Scholarship in honor of former Gov. Kenny Guinn are approaching $100,000.

Treasurer Kate Marshall said that as of Thursday, more than 350 people had contributed $92,372 to the memorial scholarship fund.

Guinn created the scholarship program in 2000 to provide every Nevada high school graduate with a B average help to attend college. It is funded with tobacco settlement money.

He died in July after falling from the roof of his Las Vegas home.

Former First Lady Dema Guinn asked Nevadans to contribute to a fund to help support the Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship program following his accidental death.

Marshall said preliminary enrollment numbers show another 6,000 high school graduates are taking advantage of the scholarship program, which provides up to $10,000 over a four-year period to Nevada graduates to attend college.

She said an initial payment of $11.75 million in tobacco settlement money has been transferred to the Nevada System of Higher Education to cover fall registration costs for Millennium scholars. There are now a total of 23,000 students receiving funding from the program.

Those wishing to contribute to the scholarship fund can contact the treasurer's office at 101 N. Carson St., Ste 4 in Carson City or make a donation directly at any Wells Fargo Bank branch, account number 17710741958.