Deep Rock Water Company has agreed to donate 5 cents to the Athletics Department general scholarship fund for each bottle of Metro State water purchased by College departments.

In an agreement finalized on July 1, with every case (24 bottles) of water purchased Deep Rock will donate $1.20 to the fund. The goal is to sell more than 1,000 cases a year, which would pay for one scholarship, says Augie Maestas, marketing manager for the Office of College Communications.

Last year, Metro State purchased 687 cases of water from Deep Rock, which would have amounted to a donation of more than $800 to the scholarship fund. By promoting the customized Metro State bottle to every department on campus, the goal of 1,000 cases purchased is feasible, says Maestas.

Maestas adds that cases already have been purchased by departments around the College, and will be available for students during athletic events in the near future.

Scholarships can have a substantial effect on retention. For instance, more than 95 percent of students who received scholarships in 2005-06 returned to finish their education when a scholarship was offered the following year. This is a retention rate that far exceeds that of the general student population at all Colorado colleges.

“Deep Rock wanted to give something back to the College for all its business,” Maestas says. “What better way to do that than to give someone a scholarship?”