News & Events

Give Your Heart to Your Community
14th Annual Valentines Day Event - February 14, 2012

The Fulton County Community Foundation is once again asking you to “Give Your Heart to Your Community.” The annual Valentines Day fundraiser is a way to send a special gift to your valentine while you give a gift to your community that continues to give year after year.

On Tuesday, February 14, guest DJ Don Groenleer will join Tom Bair on WROI FM 92.1 as they send out dedications and song requests.  Donors may also choose to have a singing telegram sent to their Valentine.  Groups of singers and musicians will be out in the community personally delivering singing telegrams and roses.  2012 marks the second year for “Pal”entines. Palentines are a special greeting from you and your pet.

Greetings and pictures from you and your pet will be displayed on Rochester Telephone Company’s Channel 4 and the Community Foundations Facebook page on February 14.  To make the deal even sweeter, a bag of animal food will be donated to the Fulton County Animal Adoption and Education Center for each “Pal”entine greeting purchased. This is thanks to an anonymous donor and animal lover.

Not only will you be sending your special someone a gift they won’t soon forget, you will also be giving your community a wonderful gift. Donors have the choice of which fund they would like their gift to be used towards, all of which are used to improve the quality of life in Fulton County.

If you would like to order a Valentine for your special someone, fill out an order form today. Forms are available at WROI Radio, the Community Foundation, or can be printed from the link above. Forms should be returned to the Community Foundation office by Thursday, February 9 by dropping them off at the office located at 715 Main St. Rochester, or by mail to P.O. Box 807, Rochester IN 46975. You may also contact the Community Foundation at (574) 224-3223 with any questions.

Terry Lee from the Nickel Plate Trail and Kirk Robinson, President of the FCCF

Fulton County Community Foundation Awards 2011 Grants

The Fulton County Community Foundation granted $77,150 to seventeen organizations during their 2011 fall granting cycle.

The grants were awarded to local not for profits and organizations that service the people in the Fulton County area.

"It's exciting each year to be able to make a difference in the organizations who receive the grants and to see the great work they do in the community," said Brian Johnson, Director of Development of the Fulton County Community Foundation. “Money donated by the community in addition to those from Community Foundation unrestricted funds made the grants possible.”

Read the entire article...

Community Foundation Awards $8,228 To College Students

This past summer the Fulton County Community Foundation offered many unique scholarships for students who are already in college or graduate school.

The Fulton County Youth Fund Scholarship is designed to benefit college students who are pursing a career working with youth or children and the recipient was Caroline Keel who attends Ball State University majoring in Social Work. The scholarship was in the amount of $400.00

The Cedric L. Berdine Memorial Teaching Scholarship is for graduates of Caston High School pursuing a degree in Education. The scholarship awarded $828.00 to Anna Douglass who studies Elementary Education at Purdue University.

Lisa Zeyen attends IU Kokomo and received the Eric E. Smoker Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $750.00 for her studies in Secondary Education and Visual Arts. The scholarship is for students in a fine or graphic arts, art education or art history curriculum.

Graduate studies are supported by the Ginger Miller Higher Education Scholarship and Frederick Rakestraw Law Scholarship. Kaylyn Herrold received the Ginger Miller Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.00 for her graduate studies in Dietetics at Indiana University Indianapolis. Whitney Brockus and Michelle Jones each received $2,500.00 for law studies from the Frederick Rakestraw Law Scholarship. Whitney attends Indiana University School of Law Indianapolis and Michelle the IU Maurer School of Law in Bloomington.

Non-traditional students are honored with the Back Home Again in Indiana Scholarship. This scholarship supports those heading back to college to advance in their current field or re-enter the job market. Lisa Harris attends Grace College and was awarded $250.00 for her studies in Mental Health Counseling.

For information about scholarship opportunities contact the Community Foundation at 574-223-2227.

Fulton County Community Foundation 2011 Scholarship Reception

The Fulton County Community Foundation (FCCF) held its annual scholarship reception on Tuesday, June 21st. The event was a celebration of both the students’ accomplishments and of the lives of those who are remembered and honored through scholarships.

The program included a number of speakers and presentations. Brian Johnson, FCCF Director of Development, welcomed all and congratulated the class of 2011 on their accomplishments.

Ryleigh Carr, a 2006 Rochester High School graduate, graduate of Huntington University and Intel analysis Spec. with the US Army, shared thoughts regarding college, and being thankful for a supportive community and family.

A number of presenters and donors were on hand to present and congratulate the scholarship recipients. Bruce Mattice shared memories of his son Steven and the scholarship that bears his name.

Larry Cunningham, NICF president and Scholarship committee chairman talked with the students about being passionate about learning and living.

Johnson closed the evening by thanking all for coming and encouraging everyone to remember those special people who are memorized through the scholarships.

In total, approximately 111 area students will receive over $146,000 in scholarships from 45 scholarship funds within the community foundation.

See the full list of 2011 Scholarship Recipients

Fulton County Women’s Giving Circle 2011 Social

On Thursday May 26 the Fulton County Women’s Giving Circle Annual Social was held at the Akron Community Center. The Fulton County Women’s Giving Circle is a fund of the Fulton County Community Foundation.

Women's Giving Circle Members: Carol Bitzer, Nancy Moore and Juleen Henderson

The event was attended by more than 70 members and guests. The purpose of the event was to distribute grant funds made possible through members’ annual contributions.

A total of $6,000 in grants was distributed to four local organizations.

Compassionate Health Center received $2,400 to provide test strips for diabetic patients. CAMP-WE-CAN received $1,600 to help with costs associated with their 2011 camp for individuals with special needs. The Fulton County Council on Aging received $1,200 to help purchase supplies and expand programming for seniors. The Fulton County Cancer Fund received $800 that will allow them to help provide patients with medications related to cancer treatments.

For more information about the Fulton County Women’s Giving Circle contact the Community Foundation at 224-3223 or email Brian Johnson, The Dir. of Dev. at the Fulton County Community Foundation at fulton@nicf.org.