A $25,000 Stephanie Smith Science Scholarship has been established at Rocori High School in Cold Spring, MN with a donation from Marler Clark, the Seattle-based food safety law firm.

Smith, a 2005 graduate of Rocori High School, maintained close ties to her Cold Spring community as a Just for Kix dance instructor until she became ill with E. coli in September 2007.  She was in the hospital for nine months.

“It is my hope to encourage and support students interested in science–especially food safety and the treatment of foodborne disease,” said attorney Bill Marler, who represented Smith in a lawsuit with Cargill Inc., which was settled in April for an undisclosed amount.

Smith was stricken by E. coli O157:H7 from a contaminated hamburger made by Cargill.   She has required over a million dollars in medical care, and remains in a wheelchair as she goes through rehabilitation. 

She hopes to dance again.

Cold Spring is a town of 3,000 in central Minnesota.