The Columbia Police Reserves Unit donated $500 to the Molly S. Thomas Bowden Memorial Scholarship on Wednesday morning at Columbia College. The check was presented by Jason Goran, director of the unit and a 2004 alumnus of Columbia College, and other members of the unit.
The donation came from contributions made by eight members of the reserves unit. About $30,000 has been raised for the scholarship, Wanda Seeney, Columbia College associate Director of public relations and marketing, said.
Saturday marks the two-year anniversary of Bowden’s death. She was shot three times during a traffic stop in January 2005. One month later, she died of complications from her injuries.
She was a Columbia College alumna.
Bowden’s parents, Dave and Beverly Thomas, Columbia police Chief Randy Boehm and members of the Columbia Police Department attended the presentation, as did Columbia College president Gerald T. Brouder.
The scholarship will provide full tuition to a woman majoring in criminal justice administration or forensic science at Columbia College with a 3.0 GPA. It will be awarded the first time on April 13, Seeney said.