A local car club that prides itself on the American car company, Ford, recently set up a scholarship for students looking to enter the automotive industry.

Coastal Carolina Ford Club presented a $500 scholarship to Beaufort County Community College Automotive Systems Technology Program, which will benefit a student working toward a career in the industry.

Bryan Oesterreich, the project coordinator for the club’s scholarship program, said the idea for the donation came from an effort to helping those with the same interests as the club. It plans to continue offering the scholarship each semester at the college, and Thursday, the club met with BCCC Automotive Instructors Bryan Van Gyzen and Richie Alligood to present the scholarship check.

“So far it’s been nothing but positive — it’s a great fit,” Oesterreich said. “We want it to be an ongoing program.”

Van Gyzen said the recipient will be determined by similar criteria the BCCC Foundation uses for other scholarships, including grade-point-average, semester hours and attendance. The scholarship money is much needed for the students enrolled at the college, who are not eligible for financial aid, but want to pursue a career in the automotive industry. The amount the club donated is about one-third of the total semester cost for a student enrolled in the program full-time, according to Van Gyzen. The scholarship money could also contribute to transportation costs like wear and tear on vehicles and fuel.

“That is pretty significant,” Van Gyzen said. “Even if they can pay for their tuition and books, a lot of them are no working so it will help them supplement those extra costs. It will benefit whoever the recipient is.”

The club, which conducts a number of outreach programs that benefit nonprofits like the Marion L. Shepard Cancer, the Beaufort County Animal Shelter, Toys for Toys, Angels N Camo, hosts a cruise-in at Hardees on U.S. Hwy 264 West the first Saturday of every month, said Rocky Willis, club president.

“It’s a good thing for the club and the other people who are interested in cars, especially the technology part of it,” Willis said. “It’s good community involvement for everybody.”

Oesterreich said the club’s upcoming cruise-in, Cruisin’ for a Car, will feature a 50/50 raffle, a staging area for each car to be photographed with a Daisy Duke look alike and a rock and roll disc jockey. The Hardees manager has also agreed for employees to wear specially designed Hardees cruise-in t-shirts. The t-shirts will be sold during the cruise-in as well, with all proceeds going toward the scholarship program, Oesterreich said.

“This whole cruise-in thing is cross-generational,” Oesterreich said. “It’s just a real cool thing — just American cars and folks getting out on a Saturday, having a burger and shake, listening to some good tunes from days gone by and seeing the old hotrods. We encourage folks to come out and purchase a t-shirt and know they’re helping some young person get their education and go to work.”