Community members and leaders came together to hear about projects benefiting the area in an event called Celebrating Community Philanthropy which focused on dreams.
The Central Kentucky Community Foundation showcased a few projects it has supported across its nine-county service area in the annual event held Thursday at Grace Heartland Church in Elizabethtown.
“When I reflect on the many projects that Central Kentucky Community Foundation has been so fortunate to be part of, they all are somebody’s dreams,” CKCF CEO Davette Swiney said.
The first of three conversations was “Deep
Roots, Big Dreams,” a discussion of the community orchard at the Elizabethtown Nature Park that’s supported by the Dow Chemical Company Foundation.
Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory, former Elizabethtown Schools Superintendent Jon Ballard, who is leading the steering committee, Catherine Updegraff, president of the John Hardin High School FFA chapter and Sean Clinning, former Dow site leader in Elizabethtown, talked about the benefits that a community orchard would provide.
Clinning said he’s hoping to see the orchard create a “groundswell” of community involvement and provide learning opportunities for local students.
“It’s going to be a thriving fruit producing orchard for years and hopefully generations to come,” Clinning said.
Ballard said he decided to get involved after doing some research and seeing the “myriad of benefits” an orchard offers.
“I thought this was just another unique feature that we can have to benefit our community,” he said.
Updegraff said she and her fellow students go to the park about twice a week to water and work with the plants to learn what it takes to maintain an orchard.
Discussion then turned to the Kennard and Melva Peden Fund. Al Rider, the foundation’s former CEO, talked about the history of the fund, which was established several years after Kennard was unable to attend college.
“Later on in life, Kennard had another dream … one that offered an opportunity to become an educational path maker for other people to attend college and to live and attain their life’s dreams,” Rider said.
This fund was established years later, in which money goes to faculty and students at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College to ensure they are effective in the classroom. Since 2008, it has provided more than $225,000 to faculty and students.
ECTC teacher Marty Sutherland and Tanner Blake talked about how the fund helped the college’s VEX Robotics Club be successful at national competitions.
“What I’ve learned in school … I can immediately apply that to this robot and use what I’m learning immediately and build new skills,” Blake said.
Jennifer Ryan of Becca’s Place Gymnastics closed out the afternoon discussion explained how her business worked with CKCF to create scholarships and other projects to help people in the community.
She said these activities have led to more opportunities for the business, including a visit from Olympian Jordan Chiles. It also strives to lead by example and serve others which translates to the children being taught.
“We feel like when you put the kids first the rest falls into place,” she said.
Swiney said that on Nov. 15, which is National Philanthropy Day, grants through CKCF’s partners and philanthropy program will be announced.
“Dreams are imaginary until they’re not and sometimes all it takes to move a dream to reality is just one step,” Swiney said.
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