Scharf to present Gallo scholarship Saturday

Martin Scharf will present nursing student Maddie Dudka with a $15,000 Gallo Blue Chip Scholarship, named for his champion pacer, on Saturday at Meadowlands Racetrack. Scharf, a successful New York real estate manager, has awarded more than $95,000 in tuition funds in the name of his 2000 Horse of the Year since 2005. The Gallo Blue Chip scholarship is administered to sons and daughters of horsemen and women in the New York and New Jersey area through the Harness Horse Youth Foundation (HHYF).

 

Maddie Dudka, the 2009/10 Gallo Blue Chip Scholarship recipient, is from Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and the daughter of trainer Paul Dudka. A nursing major, Dudka recently completed her first semester at Russell Sage College with a 4.0 GPA. She was selected as one of 10 students from her area to participate in New Visions Health Careers Exploration during her senior year.

 

Dudka said in her essay included with the scholarship application, “I’ve never had a problem getting my hands dirty, and I love spontaneous situations that make you really think on your feet. Throw in a passion for biology and chemistry, and you’ve got the core principles of health care. I don’t see myself anywhere else but working in medicine.”

 

For his continued generosity to the sport, Martin Scharf will be honored with the Harness Horse Youth Foundation Service To Youth Award Feb. 28 at Yonkers Raceway during the annual U.S. Harness Writers Association banquet. (Meadowlands)