May 12, 2017 - Town-Crier Newspaper
By Ron Bukley
A
Successful First Year For Wellington Community Foundation
Wellington Community
Foundation Chairman Tom Wenham gave a presentation to the Wellington Village
Council on Tuesday in recognition of the nonprofit organization’s one-year
anniversary.
Wenham reported on a series
of highly successful events that raised money for community projects that the
village is otherwise restricted from contributing to directly.
Wenham said the past year was
an exciting time for the foundation.
“June 2016 was a very busy
month,” he said. “We had our very first fundraiser at the home of Dr. Ed and
Maria Becker. We adopted Forest Hill Blvd. from Stribling Way to South Shore
Blvd. as part of the village’s adopt-a-street program. We supported sending
five children to the village’s summer camp program.”
The foundation is currently
working with Wellington’s Community Services Department to support more
children this year, he said.
“In August 2016, we purchased
school backpacks and 200 school uniforms for Wellington schoolchildren,” he
said. “In November 2016, we held our second fundraiser of the year, our Red,
White & Blue Jeans Veterans Day event at the Wanderers Club that 180 people
attended.”
In February, the foundation
held its Dusty Art Paint & Fun event that raised additional funds for
the foundation.
The foundation recently
handed out a total of $8,287 to Binks Forest, Elbridge Gale and Panther Run
elementary schools, providing much-needed laptop computers and supplies for
struggling students, receiving kind comments from the schools’ principals,
Wenham said.
“The foundation looks forward
to continuing its ‘Our Schools’ grant program,” Wenham said.
In March, the foundation’s
board decided to work with former Wellington Mayor Kathy Foster and her
nonprofit organization Wellington Cares so its seniors receive birthday
greetings, flowers and gift cards from local merchants. “We think that’s a
great start, and we’re going to continue that,” said Wenham, who served with
Foster on the inaugural Wellington Village Council.
The foundation also approved
$6,000 to purchase more school uniforms for the 2017-18 school year.
Next week, the foundation has
scheduled a strategic planning session to ensure that it is moving in the right
direction and in keeping with its mission statement to benefit residents by
supporting and improving their quality of life, Wenham said.
“We will be meeting with and
are in contact with a grant writer to assist us in acquiring additional
foundation funding,” he said. “This and all other funding will allow us to
engage with other entities that need help and support in the Village of
Wellington. Wellington Community Foundation members are pleased with what we
have accomplished this year, but we ask, ‘What are the potential needs of our
students and our seniors in Wellington?’”
Mayor Anne Gerwig commended
foundation board members for the work they are doing, helping some of the
village’s most vulnerable residents.
She noted that the foundation
has come a long way since it was spun off from village control a year ago.
“This was difficult,” Gerwig
said. “Some people may understand this was begun originally by the village
council. It was determined along the way that it was difficult for elected
officials to do fundraising, because of the optics involved in that and because
of ordinances and rules that we have to live under. We are really proud of what
this group has done. At first, we weren’t sure that it was going to make it, because
it did have to be independent and completely removed from us, but you’ve just
done an outstanding job.”
Councilman Michael Drahos
said the key to the foundation’s success was putting it in the hands of
talented residents who have a knack for organization and fundraising.
“I’ve been a big advocate of
this charity, and I’m really excited about what you guys can accomplish,
because you are superstars within this community,” Drahos said.
Councilwoman Tanya Siskind
said she appreciated that the foundation is doing more than writing checks.
“The money is important to
these people and organizations, but your organization has heart, and you’re out
there hands-on in the community and identifying the needs,” Siskind said.
Vice Mayor John McGovern was
also impressed with how far the foundation has come.
“I knew, the mayor knew and
the village manager knew that with the right leadership and the right team, you
all would come together and make this a success, and you have,” McGovern said.
“You have people on your board who are lifetime servants of this village, and
people who believe in this place and the greatness of this place.”
Foundation board members
include Wenham, Robbin Lee, Jim Sackett, Mickey Smith, Maria Becker, Ken Adams,
Karen Cavanagh, Maggie Zeller and Barry Manning.
ABOVE: Wellington
Village Council members congratulate Wellington Community Foundation board
members on a successful first year. (L-R) Councilman Michael Napoleone, Maria
Becker, Councilwoman Tanya Siskind, Mayor Anne Gerwig, Ken Adams, Robbin Lee,
Jim Sackett, Vice Mayor John McGovern, Tom Wenham, Mickey Smith and Councilman
Michael Drahos.
