Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

Jeanne (left) and Richard Cavender present Drayke Hair the Cavender Scholarship for Public Service at Crocker High School senior’s award ceremony.  

PULASKI COUNTY— Crocker High School senior Drayke Hair was one of two recipients of a $500 scholarship from the Richard and Jeanne Cavender Scholarship for Public Service. Hair is a dedicated volunteer in his community and has helped in organizing a blanket drive for special needs children at the school, mowing yards for two families in need, and being involved in many church activities. He is also a member of National Honor Society and Student Council within his school, as well as, team captain for the soccer and basketball teams.

Hair has been accepted to the College of the Ozarks and plans on getting a bachelors degree in elementary education. In his application essay, Hair wrote:

“Until two years ago, I had no idea what I wanted to do for a career. Then along came my baby cousin, who was born with Down syndrome. Within the first year of her life, I knew what I wanted to do. My career goal is to become a teacher who serves and helps children with disabilities, to mold and motivate these kids to reach for the stars, to prove to them they can be anything they want to be.”

The Cavenders established the scholarship through the Meramec Regional Community Foundation (MRCF) and Community Foundation of the Ozarks. The other $500 scholarship recipient for 2017 was Makayla Cahill of Salem High School.

MRCF is an outgrowth of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) and is an affiliate of Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO) in Springfield. The regional affiliate was formed in 2010. Its 12-member board includes representation from each of the eight Meramec counties and from MRPC. Vicki Nelson, vice president at Mid-America Bank’s Belle Branch, serves as MRCF chairman.

Currently, MRCF has 53 funds totaling near $1,050,645.

CFO is a public foundation serving the Missouri Ozarks. The foundation’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in the region through resource development, community grant-making, collaborations and public leadership. Formed in 1973, CFO has since grown to include 49 affiliate community foundations and more than 2,600 charitable funds totaling approximately $253 million in assets, as of June 30, 2016.

MRPC, in addition to establishing the regional foundation, provides staff support to MRCF.
Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 25, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.orgor on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.