Students working their way through college will benefit from the $92,000 raised at this year's Cape West Rotary Golf Tournament.

Proceeds from the June 7 event at Dalhousie Golf Club are intended to assist nontraditional students at Southeast Missouri State University whose family circumstances or other obligations require that they work while pursuing their education.

Bill Holland, vice president of university advancement at Southeast, said the scholarships awarded through the Cape West Rotary Club assist those who might not be able to attend college otherwise.

"These scholarships are for working students who need help getting through college," Holland said. "Primarily these are married students who have children and sometimes single parents who have gone back to school."

Tournament co-chairman Norman Glaus of the club said that about 180 golfers played in this year's tournament. A large part of the $92,000 total came from the event's corporate sponsors.

Glaus said the corporate sponsors' involvement in the program isn't limited to fundraising; they also nominate the students for the scholarship. The grants aren't tied to the students' grades as are some scholarships, but the students must be employed and must be working their way through school.

The students nominated for the scholarship might be employees of the corporate sponsor, or their parents might work for the sponsor, Glaus said. Nominees must be approved by the university and by the club.

"These major sponsors see the value in helping these working students get an education," said tournament co-chairman Steve Schneider. "It helps the student, but it also helps the employer."

This was the 11th year that the Cape West Rotary Club has sponsored the tournament to fund the scholarship program. A total of $595,000 has been raised for the cause since the first tournament in 1999.

"Cape West Rotary has been working on this for a long time," Holland said. "The university is really excited to be a part of this. It's just a great program."

Some of the scholarships are also awarded to recent high school graduates who are more traditional students, Glaus said.

This year's $92,000 raised topped last year's $83,000 total. The most the event has raised was $100,000 in 2008.

This year's total will allow the club to assist more than 50 students.

Pertinent address:

1 University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, MO

Cape West Rotary Golf Tournament 2010 sponsors

Paul Harris Sponsors -- $10,000+

Plaza Tire Service

Ken and Jeanine Dobbins

Drury Southwest

Governor Sponsors -- $5,000+

Joe and Donna Domian

Kelso Supply Co.

Rhodes 101

Saint Francis Medical Center

Southeast Missouri Hospital

Kidd Oil

Regent Sponsors -- $3,000+

Dexter Bar-B-Que

Walmart/Sam's Club

Stifel Nicolaus & Co. Inc.

Security Bank and Trust

Chartwells

McDonald's Restaurant

Delta Companies

President Sponsors -- $2,000+

Midwest Agri Chemico Inc.

Commerce Bank

Rotarian Sponsors -- $1,000+

Columbia Construction

Hutson Furniture

Friends of Rotary

Rick Kennard

Glaus and Associates, CPA