Wilmington, N.C. - The Willie Stargell Foundation has created a merit scholarship to benefit nursing students at the University of North Carolina Wilmington who plan to specialize in the treatment of patients with kidney disease or patients on dialysis.
The Willie Stargell Scholarship honors the memory of the legendary Willie "Pops" Stargell, a star baseball player with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His leadership helped the team win two World Championships in 1971 and 1979, with Stargell earning National League and World Series Most Valuable Player awards in 1979. A member of the baseball Hall of Fame, Stargell died of kidney disease in 2001. His wife, Margaret Weller-Stargell, created the Wilmington-based foundation to support kidney disease research and treatment.
"While Willie received excellent care most of the time by the nurses in the hospital, it was always clear to me that much was needed in the way of providing specialty training to nurses and other medical support staff in working with patients who had kidney disease and, more specifically, with patients on dialysis," Weller-Stargell said. "In Willie's name, I am pleased we can offer this scholarship in an effort to enhance the training nurses receive specific to renal patients and their care."
The scholarship also emphasizes the connections between UNC Wilmington and the Stargell Foundation. Weller-Stargell, president of the foundation's Board of Directors, volunteers as a member of the Board of Directors of the UNCW Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes the university and assists with a variety of fundraising efforts. She formerly served as a member of the School of Nursing Advocate Board.
"The Willie Stargell Foundation hosts an annual golf event to raise money to assist patients living with kidney disease and to support the efforts of healthcare providers specifically working with renal patients. It is important to begin these efforts on the front end. What better way to begin than by making sure nursing students are sufficiently prepared to work with and understand the complexities of medical care needed for a person on dialysis?" Weller-Stargell said, adding that she hopes the scholarship recipients also learn to observe and counsel patients with the risk factors to develop kidney disease.
In another UNCW-Stargell Foundation connection, Louise McColl, the golf tournament event director, is a member of the university's Board of Visitors, also a voluntary support organization. The university has been a golf tournament event sponsor for the past two years.
As UNCW volunteers and supporters, Weller-Stargell and McColl know how much the university needs endowed scholarships, such as the one established in Willie Stargell's name. Endowed scholarships provide a renewable source of funds to support students' educational experiences and help the university attract and retain the very best students. At UNCW, donors may create an endowed scholarship for a minimum contribution of $25,000.
"Improving health care for renal patients is a critical issue for us," said Virginia Adams, dean of the School of Nursing, "and I am grateful to Margaret Weller-Stargell and the Stargell Foundation for providing our students with this opportunity."
For more information about the Stargell Foundation, visit www.williestargellfoundation.org.
Media contact:
Dana Fischetti, news and media relations manager, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu
Caption for photo download:
Margaret Weller-Stargell, center, joined UNC Wilmington Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo, left, and School of Nursing Dean Virginia Adams to present the first check to the university to establish the Willie Stargell Scholarship for nursing students.
