This year’s Annual Celebration took place on Monday, June 12. It was a combination of delicious food, great information from some nonprofits, some encouragement to “take that extra step” because “we were born for such a time as this” from guest speaker Jason Schackow, and a celebration of volunteerism.

We are thrilled to have so many people who want to volunteer for the Community Foundation, whether on our board, on a committee, or other. We can’t say thanks enough or give anything that would be enough to express our gratitude for their time.

We also named our Spring Community Impact Grant recipients as well. The following organizations will receive grant funds of $71,736:  

• LaGrange County Arts will receive $5,000 for the second annual LaGrange County Arts Festival. The June 24 event will showcase artists specializing in theatrical, literary, visual and musical arts. 
• St. Martin’s Healthcare will receive $25,000 for its mobile health clinic. The organization provides healthcare to uninsured and underinsured people in LaGrange, Noble, Steuben and DeKalb counties. Their mobile clinic will visit LaGrange County at least once a week to see patients.
• Community Dental Clinic in Topeka will receive $20,000 to help purchase an oral scanner helping their organization provide more effective dental care. 
• Rainbow Years Learning Ministry will receive $21,736 to help purchase materials, furniture, equipment, toys/activities for the childcare’s upgraded facilities. Rainbow Years Expansion Project will be adding 25 more childcare seats.

We were thrilled to celebrate our 10 nominees for the Heart of Gold Award. What a unique group of people, who all do a variety of volunteerism, and a beautiful example of what the people in this county can do. See more about their stories HERE.

The highlight of the evening was naming our 2023 Heart of Gold recipient. All of the nominees could be given the award, because in their own ways they do so much for those around them.

Amy Whited of LaGrange was chosen as our Heart of Gold Award recipient. Whited, an art teacher at Lakeland Intermediate School, was nominated for the award by her mentor and friend, Mary Woodworth. Whited credited her mentor for encouraging her to pursue a creative path.

Known to serve quietly in the background, Whited is involved in volunteer activities for youth – especially in art. She is a 25-year member of Tri Kappa Mu, a local women’s sorority focused on philanthropy, and helps organize the annual Tri Kappa Art Month. A board member of LaGrange Communities Youth Centers, she leads and instructs an annual summer art camp for elementary students. She volunteers with Camp Watcha Wanna Do and LaGrange Night to Shine. This past year, she was instrumental in helping support a new arts organization – LaGrange County Arts.

Overall the evening was a success!

Thank you to the following for all you did in helping us make the 2023 Annual Celebration a night to remember!

• George’s Taco Shack for the dinner.
• Shawna Rae’s for the cupcake spread.
• Braden Rogers for the music.
• MY Events LLC, Megan Yoder for the photo backdrop.
• Kari Lipscomb for photography.
• Farmstead Inn & Conference Center, Andrea Boval for the facility.
• Mariah at SRMA for the tablecloths.
• Judy at Country Garden Center for the table flower pots.
• Isaac Rogers at Irog Media for the Heart of Gold Nominee video.
• Lavern at Teaberry Wood Products for donating the engraved basket given to the Heart of Gold Award recipient.
• Action Quick Print for the printed material.
• Carrie at Extreme Graphics LLC for the volunteer T-shirts
• Our panel of speakers: Jared Beasley from Community Health Clinic; Portia Amstutz from Rainbow Years Learning Ministry; and Kathy Dunafin from Elijah Haven Crisis Intervention Center.
• Our guest speaker: Jason Schackow, Lakeland Jr/Sr High School principal.
• Speakers and presenters for the evening: Octavia Yoder, Executive Director at the Foundation; Leanna Martin, Program Director for the Foundation; and Tony Bontrager, President, LCCF Board of Directors & Renea Boots, Vice President, LCCF Board of Directors.
• Trevor Thain and Renea Boots, LCCF Board of Directors, for helping at the registration tables.
• Tony & Lauren Bontrager and the staff’s husbands for helping with cleanup afterward.
• The LaGrange County Community Foundation staff for all of the behind the scenes decisions that helped make this a great event.

Written by: Sarah Hostetler, Marketing & Community Engagement Manager