Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

Four scholarship funds established for maries county R-2 graduating seniors

ST. JAMES—Meramec Regional Community Foundation (MRCF) established 11 new funds in 2017 for a total value of $524,846 to benefit the Meramec Region. Four of the new funds established are scholarship funds for Maries County R-2 Belle High School graduating seniors.

Maries County R-2 school’s foundation committee set out with a goal of providing each graduating senior in 2025 with a scholarship if they wish to continue their education. The senior class of 2025 were kindergartners in the 2012-2013 school year when the school foundation committee was formed. The establishment of four new scholarship funds totals more than $500,000.

The scholarship funds established in 2017 include:

• Party-Butler Family Scholarship Fund with $259,389 invested,
• Ted and Edna Leffler Scholarship Fund with $223,171 invested,
• Ruth and Gene Ridenhour, MD Scholarship with $25,353 invested, and
• Maries County R-2 Archery Club Scholarship with $4,503 (working toward $10,000 endowed level).

Scholarships in varying amounts will be awarded prior to May’s graduation. Approximately four percent of the fund value is returned in scholarships each year. No scholarships will be awarded from the Leffler Scholarship this year as it has not been invested long enough to generate a sufficient return.

The scholarship season for the 2018-19 academic year opened on Feb. 1. Graduating seniors wishing to apply for any of the more than 400 other private scholarship funds created by individuals, families and companies that the Community Foundation of the Ozarks manages should visit www.cfozarks.org/2018scholarships.

Other funds established through MRCF in 2017 include:

• Assistance Association Missouri Veterans Cemetery,
• Phelps County Humane Society Building Fund,
• Washington County Partnership Fund,
• Phelps County Senior Center Fund,
• Rolla Dog Park Fund,
• Caledonia Alumni Fund, and
• Groves Family Memorial Scholarship Fund.

For more information on any of the funds established or how to establish a fund with MRCF, contact Maria Bancroft or Bonnie Prigge at 573-265-2993 or via email at mbancroft@meramecregion.org or bprigge@meramecregion.org respectively.

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 Lange of Osage County serves as president of MRCF.

Currently, MRCF has 59 funds totaling over $1.37 million.

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 $268 million in assets, as of June 30, 2017.

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 23, 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.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.

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