Illinois News Joint, in collaboration with the SIU Foundation, has created the News Joint Scholarship Endowment to help support Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduate or undergraduate students attending or wanting to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Preference for the annual scholarship will be given to applicants who demonstrate significant financial need, a passion for the plant, and a clear vision for their future careers in the cannabis industry. Tax-deductible donations to News Joint Scholarship (account number, 10055) can be made here.

The SIU Foundation—an independent, nonprofit corporation that exists solely to serve the educational, service, and research missions of SIUC—is a designated 501(c)(3) organization and has appropriate approval from the Internal Revenue Service to issue tax-deductible receipts for private gifts received. The annual News Joint Scholarship will help financially support a student attending or wanting to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Intensive Controlled-Environment Plant Production Certificate program, the Cannabis Science and Production Specialization program, School of Forestry and Horticulture, or School of Biological Sciences. Applicants must address scholarship preferences via an online submission form that will be posted after the inaugural News Joint Scholarship Endowment fundraiser on May 17.

Emerald Dispensary and Lounge, located at 660 East State Rd in Island Lake, will host the News Joint Scholarship Endowment inaugural fundraiser, a live Texas Hold ‘em tournament, scheduled for 11 a.m.-8 p.m. May 17. No Texas Hold ‘em experience needed to participate. The event includes outdoor vending and an indoor Texas Hold ‘em tournament that involves representatives from Illinois cannabis brands, dispensaries, ancillary businesses, and individual supporters of the cannabis community. Outdoor vending starts at 11 a.m. and is free to the public. Net proceeds from donations go directly toward the News Joint Scholarship Endowment.

Illinois News Joint invites all Illinois cannabis brands, dispensaries, and ancillary businesses to participate in the fundraiser. Representative players are expected to wear branded swag (shirts, hats, etc.) while playing at the poker table. No cash prizes. The top three tournament finishers will receive a trophy and a VIP Swag Bag full of products, swag, and coupons. Fourth through tenth place finishers and the Second Chance Game winner also receive Swag Bags prizes. Bounty Prizes will be given to players who knock out of the tournament a Bounty Player. Bounty Players, preferably, will be executive management, so to add to the fun, we strongly encourage senior management positions to participate in the tournament. To inquiry about entering a representative player or players into the Texas Hold ‘em Tournament, please contact Jason Brown at editor@illinoisnewsjoint.com.

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