Sonora Grill to donate all proceeds on March 6 to support WSU students
OGDEN, Utah — Sonora Grill will continue to help underserved students achieve their dreams through its 11th annual Dining for Dollars fundraiser March 6 to support Weber State University’s Oportunidad Scholarship fund.
One hundred percent of proceeds from the event are donated to the Oportunidad Scholarship, which offers support to any low-income, first-generation college students and undocumented students who do n
ot qualify for Federal Student Aid, grants or loans.
“Hispanic and Latino students currently make up 13% of the student body at Weber State,” said Steve Ballard, owner of Sonora Grill. “Our community is closer to 40%, so one goal is to make the student population better reflect that of the community.”
In the last decade, Dining for Dollars has contributed roughly $200,000 to the scholarship fund and has helped over 55 students graduate college.
Jose Alberto Perea was one of the students who received the Oportunidad Scholarship during his time at Weber State.
“I am where I am today because I had the opportunity to earn a college degree, and the Oportunidad Scholarship is what sealed the deal for me in pursuing my higher education at Weber State,” he said. “Not only did it provide me with financial assistance to pursue my career, but it gave me hope and motivation to work harder to achieve my goals.”
Receiving the scholarship also fueled Perea’s desire to give back and inspired him and his wife to create a similar scholarship less than five years later.
“If we want to build a strong, vibrant, forward-thinking and thriving community, we can’t deny educational opportunities to a growing percentage of our population. We need to continue to help them overcome those barriers to higher education,” Ballard said. “The greatest thing people can do to support the scholarship program is to come eat one of their three meals at Sonora Grill on March 6.”
Those who want to support Weber State students can dine in at Sonora Grill, buy a gift card, or order to-go at 801-393-1999 or thesonoragrill.com on March 6. Weber State has also made it possible to donate directly.
Erika Gonzalez Lara, Marketing & Communications
801-626-7980, erikagonzalezlara@weber.edu- Contact:
Bryan Magaña, public relations director
801-626-7948, bryanmagana@weber.edu