The John Rene Rodriguez Memorial Scholarship Fund was established by many hundreds of John Rene's friends and fellow workers of the UFCW and the United Latinos in his honor back in 2001, when he left us much too suddenly and too soon.  They chose to honor his memory with a lasting gift, the gift of hope, help and a brighter future for the many members of the UFCW  family that it has helped since that time,  These were virtues that Rene's life exemplified, and it's a fitting tribute to a life well lived. 

The best any person can hope for in life is to leave this world a better place. John Rene worked hard and played hard, earning the respect and love of many. many hundreds of people in his short lifetime.  With his quick smile, his genuine affection for all people, and his willingness to tackle the toughest of conditions in order to bring about change, he made the world a better place, one picket line and one handshake at a time.

It says a lot about a person's character when so many people still contribute generously of their time and money to his cause after this many years, but then, Rene was just that kind of person.   And though we will never fill the emptiness he left behind, we find comfort in continuing on in his name, with the same spirit of hope and service that he personified.  Through the Scholarship Fund, Rene lives on, continuing to improve the lives of working people one day and one dream at a time.

The John Rene Rodriguez Memorial Scholarship Fund is a registered 501(c) 3 organization,  manned entirely by volunteers and operating solely on contributions freely given to us unasked.  We have not had a fund raiser in many years,  This year, the staff of Local 540 talked it over, and decided we wanted to do something to honor both Johnny and John Rene's memory.  This is a labor of love for them both. 

We have a couple of fundraisers planned for this year and we hope that you might find something that appeals to you among them.  We will be doing a Pledge Drive soon,  with some very unique gifts at each prize level.  And then later on the year, coinciding with or shortly thereafter we move into our new Headquarters, we are planning a combination Charity Bowling Event and Pool Tournament,  at 300 Bowling Center, a modern , upscale facility in Addison, TX.  Afterwards, we'll hold the Awards Ceremony, complete with fabulous prizes,  hospitality and a catered meal at our new Union Hall nearby.  We hope you'll be there to join us in a toast to Johnny and Rene. 

There's also a raffle in the works in conjunction with the Bowling event, with some pretty fabulous prizes, including a trip to Vegas and a $500 VISA gift card.  Even if you can't come to town, you'll still have a chance to purchase raffle tickets and you can help by sponsoring a bowler. sponsoring a lane, or by purchasing an ad for the Program Book. 

We're going to work hard to make sure you get your money's worth at all of these events, so it will be win-win situation all around.  Keep an eye out for further news in your emails and on this web page. In the meantime, we thank your for your time and consideration, and hope to see you sometime later this summer!