Hells Canyon Mule Days - Max Walker Memorial Scholarship

Recognizing Excellence In Our Wallowa County Youth

 

[Download scholarship application here.]

 

The Hells Canyon Mule Days Board of Directors are pleased to announce that there will be three $1000.00 scholarships awarded to three Wallowa County high school seniors.


The first annual Max Walker Memorial Scholarship was given in 2005 for one scholarship in the amount of $1000.00 and was awarded to Wallowa High School student Lindsay Easom. The 2006 scholarship was awarded to Enterprise High School student Tricia Kunkle.


With the growing success of the Hells Canyon Mule Days event and the Mule Days board of directors being focused on giving back to the community, the decision was made to increase the number of scholarships to three $1000.00 awards starting in the 2006-2007 school year. With this year’s awarded scholarships, Hells Canyon Mule Days has awarded a total of $62,000.00 to Wallowa County students to help further their academic goals.


The scholarships are open for application by any Wallowa County high school senior with a GPA of 3.0 or better, who will be attending a two or four year college or an accredited trade/vocational school in the fall of 2026.


Applications may be obtained from the high schools or may be downloaded from the Hells Canyon Mule Days website, www.hellscanyonmuledays.com


Applications must be postmarked by April 23rd or hand delivered to Thompson Auto Supply, 106 SW Second Street, Enterprise, Oregon, no later than Monday, April 27, 2026.


Scholarship applicants may also be asked for a presentation to the scholarship committee.


The Max Walker Memorial Scholarship is funded in part by HCMD, the Max Walker family, the Memorial Cowboy Poetry Gathering sponsors, VEMCO, and individual donations.


For more information contact Sondra Lozier: home 541-426-3271; cell 541-263-0104.


Please note: Scholarship winners will be notified by the Hells Canyon Mule Days committee.


Scholarship winners will also receive a HCMD t-shirt and four weekend souven-ear admission buttons. If their schedules permit, they are invited to attend the Max Walker Memorial Cowboy Poetry Gathering on Friday evening, September 11th at 7:00 pm, at the historic OK Theatre in downtown Enterprise, and also to ride in the Mule Days parade on Saturday morning, September 12th at 11:00 am.


 

The Max Walker Memorial Scholarship program was conceived in 2005 to honor the late Max Walker, one of the
founding members and ongoing supporters for the Mule Days event. To date, Hells Canyon Mule Days has awarded a total of $53,000.00 to Wallowa County students to help further their academic goals. The scholarships are funded in part by the Max Walker family, and sponsors John and Glennie Martin, the family of Lee Manes, Vemco, and Wallowa County Grain Growers, for the HCMD Max Walker Memorial Cowboy Poetry Gathering which helps fund the annual scholarships.