In an effort to reach its goal of providing 10 $5,000 academic scholarships, the Davis Memorial Foundation is giving donors a chance to name their own scholarship.

The foundation, administered under the auspices of the Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA), revealed its "Name Your" Scholarship program. As part of the annual silent auction fundraiser held in conjunction with the Western Roofing Expo, the program offers bidders the opportunity to fund and name a $5,000 scholarship. The name can be a person, a company or anything in between.

This year's silent auction is going virtual along with the Western Roofing Expo, which has been renamed as the Virtual Western Roofing Expo. To view auction items and participate, bidders can go to the Davis Memorial Foundation's auction website or text "DAVIS2020" to 243-725 for a virtual auction app.

"One of the most competitive and thrilling events has always been the Davis Memorial Foundation auction. We have devised ways to keep those cornerstones of the expo to the Virtual Western Roofing Expo," said WSRCA executive leaders and staff in a joint statement.

Aside from the scholarships, bidders can vie for more than 30 items in categories related to lifestyle, roofing and sports, ranging from Tory Burch and Kate Spade accessories to an Oregon fishing trip and roofing products. Bidders can even win a complimentary ticket to attend RC's 16th Annual Best of Success conference in Frisco, Texas this September.

Bidding begins at 8 a.m. on July 1 and ends at 5 p.m. on July 15.

The foundation gives priority to students who want to attend a trade school, or earn a college or university degree that relates to the construction industry. Employees, spouses and children of roofing industry professionals in particular are encouraged to apply. Since its founding in 1997, the Davis Memorial Foundation has awarded over 125 scholarships totaling more than $525,000.

The Davis Memorial Foundation was created in the memory of Larry and Mary Davis. Larry was the founder of State Roofing Company in Modesto, Calif., served as director of the Western States RCA Board of Directors and was active on several committees, often flying to meetings with Mary in their private airplane in their commitment to supporting the standing of professional roofing contractors. The couple tragically perished in a plane crash in 1995 when returning from a committee meeting.