Submitted article
The Galion Community Foundation held its 57th Annual Meeting on March 6, 2014, and approved grants to area organizations, established dollar amounts for scholarships administered by the Foundation, and approved the creation of several special project accounts for local organizations.
In all, the board approved awards totaling $55,158.98.
Grants were awarded to the Humane Society of Crawford County, the Galion Golden Age Club, Galion Community Center-YMCA, the NOAH Project, the Galion Public Library, Come Home to Galion and Preserving Galion’s History.
Distributions from specified accounts were approved for the Center YMCA from the Ruth Ann Duvall and the Virginia Boyd-Shafer Funds, the Galion Public Library from the Angell Family Galion Library and the James Melvin Boyer Library Funds, the New Washington Towne Band from the New Washington Towne Band Fund and Fairway/Waycraft from the UCT- Fairway/Waycraft Fund.
Dollar amounts were approved for the following scholarships: the A. M. Carter Memorial Scholarship for a PCTC Graduate, the Miller Carter Memorial Scholarship for a high school graduate planning to study business, science, engineering or medicine, the Miller Carter Memorial Scholarship for any high school graduate or GED holder attending North Central State College, the William F. Unckrich Memorial Scholarship, the Ethel Volk-Koeckert Scholarship, the Edna Price Beck Scholarship, the Phillip Bunyard Scholarship, the Class of 1950 Scholarship, the Galion Community Foundation General Scholarship, the Kevin Cass Memorial Scholarship, the William Dameron/GHS Football Scholarship, the Fox Family Scholarship, the Galion Jaycees Senator’s Scholarship, the M. J. Bradfield Scholarship, the Ronk Veterinary Medicine Scholarship for a student in Crawford County currently studying or planning to study veterinary medicine, and the Bils-Frombaugh Scholarship for a Wynford High School graduate participating in the FFA program.
New Special Project Accounts approved include the Galion-Crestline Veterans Military Funeral Detail, the Preserving Galion History LLC, and the Galion Gardens/Education & Sustainability Center Funds. Previously, the board has accepted funds to benefit the Connections Weekend (formerly the Synergy Fund), Come Home to Galion, the East Park, the Galion Alumni Band, and the Galion Community Chorus Funds. Contributions to these accounts will be used toward program expenses. Individuals wishing to donate to one of these programs may do so by sending contributions to The Galion Community Foundation C/O Mr. Steve Erlsten, GCF Treasurer, 135 Harding Way West, Galion, OH 44833. Please identify the fund the donation is to benefit.
In addition, the GCF Board will again serve as a co-sponsor for a Galion Community Theatre production and continue to lend its support to the Galion High School athletic and drama departments by contributing to the football and basketball programs and the spring musical.
Finally, the Galion Community Foundation board established the date for its Tenth Annual Fundraising Concert and Auction. The event will be May 9, 2014, at the Galion Moose Family Center on South Market Street. Doors will open at 5:30 PM with live music, food available for purchase from the Moose and both silent and live auctions with Craig Miley serving as auctioneer.
Formed in 1957, the Galion Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization which administers over thirty (30) different accounts and is always willing to add specified funds and to accept donations to current accounts or to its general fund. Since 2001, the Foundation has provided for distributions of nearly $700,000, including over $225,000 from the various scholarship funds. Anyone wishing more information about the Foundation or to arrange to have a representative speak at a meeting should contact Mr. Dan Shealy, Chairman, at 419-468-4849, Mr. Steven Erlsten, Treasurer, at 419-468-6300, or Mr. David E. Spraw, Secretary, at 419-468-2638.