November 12th marks the beginning of the 30th Annual National Community Foundation Week. This celebration was instituted by former President of the United States, George H.W. Bush, to celebrate the work community foundations accomplish all throughout the country.

To bring these celebrations to Washington County, Marietta Community Foundation has coordinated several events, throughout Community Foundation Week, to showcase what they do best – help this community.

To kick-off the festivities, the Foundation has coordinated a Youth Leadership Seminar for local high school students from around the county. Each school identified eight students to attend the seminar on November 12th. The seminar will take place at Washington State Community College, where students will get to listen to Coach Mike Deegan speak about what it means to be a community leader.

Coach Deegan is the Head Men’s Baseball Coach at Denison University, the former Marietta College Men’s Baseball Coach, and a member of the Marietta College Athletic Hall of Fame. After the speaking engagement concludes, students will be able to tour the WSCC campus and explore local education opportunities.

“These students were selected by their school’s administration and faculty,” said Coach Deegan. “These are bright young men and women who have proven themselves to be leaders. I am excited to offer them guidance as they continue to develop in their unique skill sets.”

Friday, November 15th at 11:30 a.m., the Marietta Chamber of Commerce will be coming to the Foundation’s office, on the corner of Front and Putnam, to acknowledge their 45 year anniversary.

“The Marietta Community Foundation is a vital resource to the Marietta Area,” said Carrie Ankrom, President & CEO of Marietta Chamber of Commerce. “They keep our community alive with their accountable and trustworthy charitable giving and receiving.”

The Foundation invites all of their friends and colleagues to attend the event and take a piece of cake, made by Lisa’s Sweet Stop, back to their offices to enjoy during their lunch hour.

The next morning, Saturday, November 16th, local nonprofits will meet downtown to compete in the Foundation’s 2019 Nonprofit Challenge, supported by lead sponsor Superior Toyota Hyundai. Each nonprofit will have a team, made of 3-4 members, who will rush around the Downtown area completing photo and video challenges for points.

Prizes will total $26,000, the most money given in the event’s history. The winners will be announced on Monday, November 18th at 12 p.m. via Facebook Live to cap off the week’s events.

Heather Allender, President & CEO of the Foundation said, “We have put a lot of work into this event and we are excited to see it come to fruition. It is sure to be fun and engaging, but ultimately it is going to help a lot of organizations.”

The Marietta Community Foundation meets National Standards for operational quality, donor service and accountability in the community foundation sector. Founded in 1974, the Marietta Community Foundation has grown over the years thanks to a number of generous gifts. The Marietta Community Foundation works to improve Washington County through grants and initiatives. If you are interested in learning more about their efforts, please contact Heather Allender at 740-373-3286 or heather@mcfohio.org.
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