Greater Jefferson County Foundation sponsors inaugural scholarship picnic

The Greater Jefferson County Foundation Board of Directors hosted its inaugural scholarship picnic Thursday at Jefferson County Park.

A total of 75 scholarship award winners, parents and board members enjoyed an evening of information and food prepared by board members Ken Malloy and Tony Webb.

The inaugural event was held to show appreciation for the scholarship winners and their parents, and provide them a chance to meet with some of the scholarship donors and learn more about why their scholarships were created.

Betty Crile Jacobs of Burlington shared that being a member of the Fairfield High School Class of 1951 and knowing that her siblings were all FHS graduates meant a lot to her family. When her parents died, a family decision was made to honor their mother and father with a scholarship derived from their estate. Since her parents had lived in Jefferson County their entire life, it was fitting to leave funds to work toward an annual scholarship.

President Tom McMahon and scholarship chair Dr. Bob Wiegert spoke to those in attendance about the challenge the students have in front of them and how the scholarships will provide them with a boost to begin their college careers. They expressed appreciation to the donors who were in attendance and had the forethought to make a charitable contribution to support the future of the community. McMahon encouraged the students to be successful in their education and then return to Fairfield and Jefferson County for their careers.

The Greater Jefferson County Foundation was founded in 1975 and has grown into the largest community foundation in the county. The foundation receives, accepts and distributes funds for educational, cultural, civic and charitable purposes for the benefit of the greater community of Jefferson County.