The Northeast Florida Chapter of the Florida RV Trade Association (FRVTA) has donated $2,500 for Nassau County Senior Brianna Batrous to use for financial support in attending college.
Batrous, who is legally blind, will graduate with a 4.5 GPA from West Nassau High School and has amassed more than 1,200 community service hours.
“After hearing about Brianna’s need for financial assistance to continue her education, local association member Jamie Lawson of Dick Gore’s RV World of Jacksonville came to the board and brought her compelling story to our attention,” said Ken Loyd, local FRVTA board president. “We felt her determination to succeed in school at such a high level and overcoming her blindness was a very compelling story and the board wanted to reward her for that.”
Faced with adversity since she was born blind and prematurely at only 3 pounds, Batrous has volunteered with many local agencies including the Vietnam Veterans and Nassau Council on Aging – contributing so much to the community that her work has received notice from Gov. Rick Scott and Nassau County School Superintendent Dr. Kathy Burns.
Batrous, along with her mother Mary Batrous, attended a meeting of the local RV dealers association to make a brief presentation and receive the financial donation from the group. Mary shared that Brianna may be shy and quiet, but she’s been raised to be strong, independent and hardworking. Batrous also loves animals, which she often nurses back to health, and wants to be a zoologist.
With the support the FRVTA local chapter and other local organizations, Batrous plans to attend Florida State College.
Made up of area RV dealers, accessory companies and campground representatives in the region, the FRVTA Region 6 board of directors has made more than $35,000 in similar community donations over the last two years.
These included a $15,000 donation to the Jacksonville Equestrian Center, $5,800 for St. Augustine Youth Services, a $4,000 donation in concert with Jacksonville’s Flamingo Lake RV Resort to Wolfson Children’s Hospital, and a $10,000 donation to the local Morocco Shrine – supporting 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children.
“The board wouldn’t be in the position to make these donations without the community’s support of our two regional RV shows every year, which has put us into the financial position to support kids like Brianna and other organizations that help children in our area,” Loyd said.