Cat Zingano has experienced her share of obstacles in life, and she’s hoping she can lend a hand for those who are going through similar situations.
The Bellator women’s featherweight fighter set up a $10,000 scholarship through Bold.org, a platform “committed to fighting student debt through philanthropy.” The scholarship will be awarded to a student who is fighting through the loss of a loved one and is in need of financial support for their education as they move forward.
Zingano knows from experience about the struggles of losing a loved one, as she had the loss of her mother in 2005 from brain cancer, as well as the loss of her husband, who took his own life in 2014.
The MMA veteran hopes to make a difference in someone’s life through the “Cat Zingano Overcoming Loss Scholarship.”
“I’ve been talking to Bold.org for a bit, and what they are is a company that you can customize scholarships,” Zingano told MMA Junkie. “So for me – especially with everything that I’ve been through and knowing what I needed and who I needed back when those times were tough – it just made sense for me to, especially now that I can, be able to help support somebody, to try to help them get through these crazy times.
“It was not easy, and it’s something I adjust to every day. It’s something my kid adjusts to every day. I just want to give a hand out for the time I didn’t have a hand out or the times I did have a hand out and I just want to be grateful and pay it forward. So it’s a big deal, and there has already been a ton of applications, and it’s been amazing. I can’t wait to impact somebody that way because I just feel it. I know what they feel and need. I just can’t wait to see it and hopefully there can be more of these. It can just make some change, especially right now since everyone is at each others’ throats and so much division. I just hope I can bring people together and I hope this can go well. We can help take care of each other.”
Zingano (11-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) fights Olivia Parker (4-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) on the Bellator 256 main card Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. It’s her second Bellator fight, as she successfully transitioned from the UFC to Bellator last September, outpointing Gabby Holloway at Bellator 245.
Cat Zingano explains initiative to set up $10,000 ‘Overcoming Loss Scholarship’
