Submitted article

The Galion Community Foundation held its 58th annual meeting on March 19 and approved 15 grants to applicants, distributed funds earmarked by donors to area organizations, established dollar amounts for scholarships administered by the Foundation, and approved the creation of several special project accounts for local organizations.

Grants totaling $4,800 were awarded to:

  • Sara Beagle Day Care Center for fencing/painting;
  • Friends of the Galion Public Library for the summer reading program;
  • Come Home to Galion for event programming;
  • Paul United Methodist Church for its Outreach Program;
  • CONTACT of Crawford County for programming needs;
  • Preserving Galion History toward the Porch Restoration Project;
  • Galion Golden Age Center toward computer hard drives;
  • The Humane Society Serving Crawford County toward crematorium replacement;
  • Galion Community Chorus toward the presentation of The Messiah
  • Galion Cemetery Association toward truck repair;
  • The Galion Historical Society toward its computer network project;
  • Galion Council of Weekday Religious Education for programming needs;
  • Galion Community Center YMCA toward programming;
  • Galion City Schools Synergy Committee in support of Connections Weekend; and
  • First Lutheran Church for its summer meal project.

Distributions from specified accounts created by and earmarked through donor request and totaling $31,775.36 were approved for dispersal to:

  • Galion Community Center YMCA from the Virginia Boyd Schafer Fund for programming;
  • Galion Community Center YMCA from Ruth Ann Duvall Fund for youth memberships;
  • Fairway-Waycraft from the U.C.T. Fund for programming;
  • Galion Public Library from James Melvin Boyer Fund for books and activities;
  • New Washington Band from New Washington Towne Band Fund for music, etc.; and
  • The Angell Family Account for music at the Galion Public Library.

The board also approved reinvesting the income earned for the following accounts:

  • The Galion Theatre Endowment Fund;
  • The Synergy Committee for Connections Weekend; and
  • The Wheatcraft Presidential Classroom Fund.

Dollar amounts were approved for the following scholarships:

  • The A. M. Carter Memorial Scholarship for a Pioneer Career and Technology Center graduate ($500/year for two years);
  • The Miller Carter Memorial Scholarship for a high school graduate planning to study business science, engineering, or medicine ($1,000/year for four years);
  • The Miller Carter Memorial Scholarship for any high school graduate or GED holder attending North Central State College ($500/year for two years);
  • The William F. Unckrich Memorial Scholarship ($4,000 for one year);
  • The Ethel Volk-Koeckert Scholarship ($750 for one year);
  • The Edna Price Beck Scholarship (two scholarships at $2,000 for one year);
  • The Phillip Bunyard Scholarship ($1,000 for one year);
  • The Class of 1950 Scholarship ($500 for one year);
  • The Galion Community Foundation General Scholarship ($1,500 for one year);
  • The Kevin Cass Memorial Scholarship ($1,000 for one year);
  • The William Dameron/GHS Football Scholarship ($500 for one year);
  • The Fox Family Scholarship ($1,000 for one year);
  • The Galion Jaycees Senator’s Scholarship ($1,000 for one year for a current Galion graduate and $1,000 for one year for a past Galion graduate);
  • The M. J. Bradfield Scholarship ($1,500 for one year);
  • The Ronk Veterinary Medicine Scholarship for a student in Crawford County currently studying or planning to study veterinary medicine ($500 for one year);
  • The Bils-Frombaugh Scholarship for a Wynford High School graduate participating in the FFA program ($500 for one year); and
  • The Juanita Wagner Memorial Scholarship (five scholarships at $2,000 each for one year).

New special project accounts approved include the Wagner Scholarships, Crawford County Helping Hands, the Galion Alumni Association, and Getting Ahead Crawford County. These accounts have been established to assist these agencies in accepting and using funds for the specific needs of these groups. Individuals wishing to donate to one of these programs, or other special project funds, 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 Galion school activities by contributing to the football and basketball programs, the yearbook, and the spring musical.

Finally, the Galion Community Foundation Board established the date for its 11th annual fundraising concert and auction. The event will be May 8 at the Galion Moose Family Center on South Market Street. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with live music provided by the Galion Alumni and the New Washington Towne bands. Food will be available from the Moose, and both silent and live auctions will be held.

Formed in 1957, the Galion Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization which administers over 35 different accounts and is always willing to add specified funds or accept donations to current accounts and the GCF general fund. Since 2001, the Foundation has provided the distribution of nearly $850,000, including over $250,000 from the various scholarship funds. For more information about the Foundation or to arrange to have a representative speak at a meeting, please contact Dan Shealy, Chairman at 419-468-4849, Steve Erlsten, Treasurer at 419-468-6300, or David E. Spraw, Secretary at 419-468-2638.