NORWICH – Norwich Dollars for Scholars is hosting a free recycling event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9 in the gymnasium parking lot at the Norwich High School.

The Norwich chapter of the nonprofit and the NHS student chapter are raising money for the 2014 college scholarship fund that is annually awarded to graduating seniors. Norwich Dollars for Scholars will be co-hosting the event with Recycling Electronics and Computer Technologies (REACT) and Wilkinson Salvages. REACT – a DEC certified electronics recycling agency – will be collecting old electronics that people can properly recycle, and Wilkinson Salvages will also be collecting returnable cans and bottles.

REACT is donating three cents for every pound of electronics that is collected, and proceeds from the bottles and cans collected by Wilkinson Salvages will also go towards the scholarship fund.

With college tuition on the rise, federal budget cuts on higher education, and incomes that do not match the inflation rate, it is now more difficult than ever for parents of middle class and lower income families to send their children to college. Some children do not even have parents or family members that are able or willing to foot the bill for their higher education. In comes Dollars for Scholars.

Mary Lou Stewart and the late Tom Bellinger formed the Norwich chapter of Dollars for Scholars eight years ago. As colleges costs increased, they decided to find a way to help high school students in their community be able to attend college. Over the years, they encouraged local businesses including NBT Bank and Chobani to contribute to the scholarship fundraiser. Norwich Dollars for Scholars has granted over $250,000 in scholarships to 255 local seniors since its inception. Last year, nearly $35,000 in scholarship funds were raised and the organization is always looking for ways to beat their record. The recycling event is the first fundraiser of its kind. The board members of the nonprofit and 50 students involved in the NHS chapter are hoping that it will increase their funds.

“It is a chance to give back to the community and help our children. It also benefits those that contribute to the fund by giving them a chance to get rid of old electronics that would otherwise sit collecting dust and creating clutter in the house,” explained Kevin Walsh, board member of Norwich Dollars for Scholars and local managing broker for Peggy Parker Real Estate, LLC. “Plus it gives people the opportunity to feel confident that their electronics are properly being disposed of and recycled in an environmentally friendly way.”