2024 New Funds

Lo Family Scholarship Fund

The Lo Family has been a part of the Marion community for four decades—operating the popular House of Hunan restaurant. This year, they created a scholarship with Marion Community Foundation to encourage immigrants and first generation Americans, like themselves, to pursue higher education.

Peter and Penny Lo immigrated to the United States from Taiwan in the early 1980s. Initially, they lived in New Orleans, where they welcomed their first son, Wilson. They moved to Marion and their son, Frank, was born here in 1990. Both boys graduated from Marion City Schools, as did Frank’s wife, Jenny. Frank and Jenny married in 2023 and have two sons. Jenny works as an RN, having completed her degree locally at Tri-Rivers’ School of Nursing.

Peter is an amazing chef and has operated their successful restaurant with Penny for 30+ years. Frank graduated from Ohio State with a degree in hospitality management and took over the family business in 2019.

Peter and Penny come from very large families. He is one of five siblings and Penny is the youngest of seven. All of their relatives live in their native country of Taiwan.

The Lo Family Scholarship is open to students who have attended a high school in Marion County for at least two years, especially those pursuing a career in hospitality, culinary, or nursing and healthcare.

Wilson Ishida Family Fund

Wilson Ishida was ahead of his time in promoting a “shop local first” attitude. He was a businessman who loved and supported Marion in all ways possible. In his honor, daughter Millie Stockdale established the Wilson Ishida Family Fund to mark their family legacy in Marion.

Wilson (1917-2006) moved here from Fresno, California, in 1939. He married Sally Yokoyama (1920-1998) in 1942, and raised three children, Rick, Larry, and Millie. He owned and operated several businesses, most notably the Ishida Concrete Company.

A graduate of the Chicago School of Photography, he filmed Harding football games for many years. He combined his love of photography with a passion for flying, taking aerial photographs for Marion County Conservation.

Wilson was an avid sportsman. He was president of Marion’s Baseball for Youth for many years and coached the Isaly and American Legion teams. He coached his sons’ baseball teams from Little League to post-high school and regularly attended their college games at Indiana University and Otterbein College. He pulled his daughter’s horses to shows from the time she was 7-years-old to adulthood.

The Ishida family honors their parents through this field of interest fund, supporting youth programs and animal welfare causes in Marion.

New Fund Snapshots

Agency

Marion Technical College Foundation has added the following agency funds, named in honor of supporters of the college:
– Anderson Family Fund E | for second-year students from Ridgedale
– Dr. James & Ellen Bazzoli Fund E | for Marion County students studying healthcare
– Jill Chitwood & Dennis Kneisley Fund E | for second-year MTC business students from River Valley
– George & Janis Collet Memorial Fund E | for second-year MTC students from Wyandot County
– David & Jane Fogle Fund E | for second-year MTC students from Upper Sandusky
– Robert Koons II & Thomas C. White Fund E | for second-year MTC business students from underrepresented populations
– Kristian Jay Moore Fund E | for second-year, female MTC students majoring in engineering
– Randy Myers Memorial Fund E | for MTC students studying nursing or healthcare
– Pursue Your Dream Fund E | for students age 25+
– Dr. Vicky & Rodney Wood First Gen Forward Fund E | for first-generation college students at MTC

Donor Advised

Donor advised funds allow donors to annually recommend charities they wish to support. New in 2024 are:
– Richard & Kim Dixon Fund N and Richard & Kim Dixon Family Fund E | Richard & Kim Dixon
– Dan & Lisa Ebert Family Fund N | Dan & Lisa Ebert
– Steve Rinesmith Family Charitable Fund E | Steve Rinesmith

Field of Interest

100+ Women Who Care Fund N | non-endowed giving fund for members of 100+ Women Who Care to support local nonprofits

Allen ‘Bus’ Augenstein Teachers Fund E | supporting TEACH Grants for River Valley Local Schools

Brown Family Teachers Fund E | supporting the TEACH Grants Program at Marion Community Foundation | John & Cindy Aksel, Bruce & Karen Brown, Randy & Chris Brown, Steven & Patricia Brown, and Suzie Brown

David & Karen Ream Family Fund E | supporting the urgent and immediate needs of individuals with complex and/or severe disabilities in Marion, Ohio, and programs and organizations that support such individuals | David & Karen Ream

Designated

Eugene E. & Nancy L. Adler Memorial Fund E | supporting the Adler’s home parish of St. Louis Catholic Church in Custar, Ohio | Valerie & Dan Wigton

Charles & Sue Huber Fund L | supporting St. Mary Parish and School and Joyce’s Angels | Charles & Sue Huber

Khurshid Husain Fund N | honoring Dr. Husain and supporting the Marion Tallgrass Trail | Maaria Husain

Bud, Kay & Steve Lamb Homeless-to-Home Fund L | supporting Homeless-to-Home Animal Rescue & Cat Sanctuary

Dana ‘Granny’ & Kevin ‘Papa’ Lehman Family Fund L | supporting the Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Heart of Ohio Homeless Shelter, and Genoa Baptist Church | Dana & Kevin Lehman

Baird-Wolfe Music Legacy Fund A | honoring the involvement & service of Rick Baird and Don Wolfe and supporting band programs at Marion Harding High School and Grant Middle School through Parent Booster USA | Kelly Mackay

Shuster-Benedict Family Fund L | supporting St. Mary Parish and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Marion, Ohio | David Shuster

Scholarships

Ron & Phyllis Craycraft Scholarship Fund A | in memory of Ron & Phyllis Craycraft, supporting Marion area students pursuing a career in direct patient healthcare | Paul & Vicki Craycraft, Phil & Kate Craycraft, Jr., and Patricia Frazier

Bob & Judy Finney Family Scholarship Fund L | supporting students from Marion County to attend Ohio State University, Ohio University, Miami University, Ohio Dominican University, or Marion Technical College and study science, biology, healthcare, nursing, or medicine | Bob & Judy Finney

Charles A. & Sue (McCoy) Huber Scholarship Fund E | supporting students of Pleasant High School in the top 20 percent of their graduating class | Charles & Sue Huber

Dana ‘Granny’ & Kevin ‘Papa’ Lehman Family Scholarship Fund L | supporting Marion and Morrow County students attending Marion Technical College or Tri-Rivers Career Center | Dana & Kevin Lehman

Marion Rotary Club’s John C. Keggan Fund N | honoring the late John C. Keggan and supporting students at Ohio State University at Marion | Marion Rotary Club

River Valley Music Honor Society Scholarship Fund E | recognizing Allen ‘Bus’ Augenstein and supporting students who actively participated in River Valley music programs

Karen Dutt Sabel Scholarship Fund L | supporting students of Elgin and Pleasant high schools | Karen Dutt Sabel

St. John Lutheran Church (Windfall) Scholarship Fund E | supporting Marion and Morrow County students active with a Christian church | St. John Lutheran Church

Y-Men’s Service Club Scholarship Fund E | honoring William D. “Fibber” McGee and Pearl “Molly” McGee | Y-Men’s Service Club