A local scholarship foundation is looking for donors to help further its mission of helping local young people afford their education.

“Last year, we were able to raise and award $6,500 in scholarships,” said Ebony Wright, president of the S. Delois Mayes Scholarship Foundation. “We have a goal this year to be able to raise a little more money.”

Last year’s six recipients received scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000. Two recipients the year before received a combined $1,000.

“A lot of the donations come from businesses and nonprofits outside of our city, and I was really trying to get support from businesses in Suffolk,” Wright said. “We’re doing the donor push now to give people an opportunity to give. It’s the holiday season and a tax write-off for the end of the year.”

The foundation is named after Wright’s sister, an Old Dominion University graduate who died in a car accident 14 years ago on her way home to Georgia after visiting Wright in Suffolk.

Wright decided to honor her sister’s legacy by starting the scholarship foundation. Education was important to her sister, she said.

Donations can be made online or by sending a check to S. Delois Mayes Scholarship Foundation, P.O. Box 5297, Suffolk, VA 23435.

For more information or to donate, visit www.sdmscholarshipfoundation.com.