The Porter County Community Foundation Celebrates its 20th Anniversary

On Saturday, November 5th, over 370 friends of the Porter County Community Foundation gathered at the Porter County Expo Center to celebrate the Foundation’s 20th Anniversary.

The evening began with a review of the work of the foundation over the past 20 years and a special tribute to Barb Young as she retires after 20 years with the Foundation. It continued with dinner, a live auction, and a featured musical performance by The Unexpected Boys.

“The Cheers to 20 Years celebration was a way for the Foundation to show its appreciation for all of the support we’ve had over the last twenty years,” said Spero Valavanis, chair of the Foundation’s board of directors, “especially those who participated in the Tomorrow Starts Today campaign that funded the creation of the Center for Community Philanthropy. It was a special way to celebrate the good work of this great community and also honor Barb Young and her leadership.”

Since 1996, the Foundation has brought people together to make a lasting impact on the community; it has done so by inspiring giving which has resulted in donations from more than 6,100 donors. Foundation assets have grown to over $47.5 million, while giving away more than $21.5 million in grants & scholarships since its founding. “All of the work that is done by the Community Foundation is done for the good of the community, and it is only possible because of the generosity of the people of Porter County,” said Bill Higbie, President and CEO of the Porter County Community Foundation.

The Foundation would like to thank its 20th Anniversary Sponsors, including: BMO Harris Bank, Bruce and Beth White Family Foundation, South Star Family Fund, 1st Source Bank, Berglund Construction, Indiana Beverage, Stewart and Kathryn McMillan, Steve and Viki Adik, Family Express Corporation, Mason Investment Advisory Services, Methodist Hospitals, NIPSCO, Porter Health Care System, Scannell Wealth Management, Shive-Hattery (formerly Design Organization), Strack & Van Til/Town & Country, Weiss Entities, Blachly, Tabor, Bozik & Hartman, LLC, Burke Costanza & Carberry LLP, Centier Bank, Eagle Services Corp., Fifth Third Bank, First Merchants Bank, Franciscan Health Michigan City, Tim & Molly Healy, Hodges & Davis, Hoeppner Wagner & Evans, Holladay Properties, Horizon Bank, Horwood Marcus & Berk, Krieg DeVault, Lakeside Wealth Management, William P. Maar--Thrivent Financial, Mechanical Concepts, Peoples Bank, Precision Control Systems, Regal Beloit/Power Transmission Solutions, St. Mary Medical Center, Teachers Credit Union, Tudor Cleaning and Restoration/James and Jo Tudor, UFS Corporation, Kathleen and John Walsh.

The Foundation inspires giving and engages the community to improve lives in Porter County now and forever. To learn more, contact the Foundation at 219.465.0294 or visit portercountyfoundation.org.

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