On February 29th Hudson Community Foundation and Hudson Community First will be hosting a “Toast to Hudson” fundraiser at Blue Canyon restaurant. The public is able to purchase tickets to the event by contacting Laura Gasbarro at 330-650-0752. Tickets cost $75 per person, or $125 for a couple. The public is encouraged to purchase these tickets before the deadline on Sunday, February 26. The groups intend to raise money from some of the big items at the silent auction. The featured big ticket item this year is an Off-Shore Big Game Fishing Excursion for four, which includes a two night stay at Pirates Cove Marina in Mantea, North Carolina, a day aboard a 52-foot Viking sport yacht fully staffed and equipped, including meals aboard the yacht. A one week home in Hilton Head, South Carolina is also among the list of big items. There will also be a fire pit and the wine auction. The annual “Toast to Hudson” fundraiser is always an eventful evening!

EMS

What drew you toHudson?  What makes Hudson …Hudson?  From its schools to its historic richness,Hudsonis a community that shines.  The Hudson Community Foundation (HCF) exists to continue this tradition.

 Deeply entrenched in the community, HCF identifies needs, aggregates donations, and then grants 100 percent of those gifts to organizations best suited to meet those needs. 

HCF has helped to seed, start, guide, and fund numerous organizations that makeHudsongreat – for example: Hudson Community First, Taste of Hudson, Hudson in Bloom and Farmers Market. By bringing these organizations under our 501(c)(3) status, we help them avoid high start-up costs and lengthy processes so they can make a difference in our community faster.

 In supporting Hudsonorganizations, HCF has four main focus areas:

 Youth, Education and Recreation – supporting Safe Routes Hudson, Student Support Fund, and Coalition for Children’s Mental Health in our high school

 Social Services – such as Hattie Larlham,Hudson Job Search,Hudson Coalition of Habitat for Humanity

 Arts and Culture – including Music from theWestern Reserve, Hudson Bandstand, and Hudson Players Guild

 Historical and Environmental Preservation – helping to fund Case-Barlow Farm, Veterans Memorial Garden, and Western Reserve Land Conservancy

Civic leadership has propelled Hudson’s character.   Volunteer commitment and involvement of residents and local merchants, however, have made Hudsonspecial.   In this time of need, we hope you will consider making a gift.  100% of your donation goes back into the community and you can direct it to a specific area or organization if you wish.  HCF will place a full page ad the in the Hudson Hub listing all donations greater than or equal to $500.  Donations greater than or equal to $1,000 will include company logos.

 What drew you toHudson?  If it was the uniqueness of our community, I hope you will consider supporting us. 

Yes, I want to support HCF and empower the organizations and individuals working to make our community better.

Enclosed is my gift of $__________ which I would like applied to:

 HudsonCommunity Endowment Fund

 HudsonCommunity Foundation Operations Fund

 EnrichHudsonForever Fund      :

 Arts and Culture

 Historical and Environmental Preservation

 HudsonSocial Services

 Youth Education and Recreation

If you would like your gift to remember a family member, colleague or beloved friend, please complete the following:

This gift is in:  _____ Honor of            _____ Memory of

____________________________________________

Name (please print)

 Please complete the following information so we can properly acknowledge your gift.

 ___________________________________________________________________

Donor(s) (print as you would like your name to appear)

 ___________________________________________________________________

Address

 ___________________________________________________________________

City, State                                                                                                         Zip Code

___________________________________________________________________

Phone

 ___________________________________________________________________

Email

I would like my donation to remain anonymous.

Please mail this form and your contribution to:

HudsonCommunity Foundation

P.O. Box 944,

Hudson, OH 44236 

 Thank you for making a difference!

THANK YOU!   WE DID IT!

The Hudson City Schools Foundation and the Memorial Stadium committee are pleased to announce that the drive to raise $5.5 million for a new stadium complex at Hudson High School has been reached.  The goal could not have been met without the incredible rally by the Hudson community during the month of January. Approximately $300,000 was raised bringing the total to $5.3 million. According to Hudson City Schools Superintendent Steve Farnsworth, Dick and Barbara Malson wanted to make sure the goal was reached and donated another $400,000 to the project.  Currently, the estimated cost of the new stadium complex is $5.5 million, however the cost may be more or less due to a variety of factors: contingencies, efforts to get “in kind” contributions and discounted pricing from vendors.  Any monies that exceed the final costs of the project will be used for a new field house adjacent to the stadium complex.  The field house will house training, first aid, changing and showering facilities. We will need to continue to seek private contributions to to complete the Field House.  Farnsworth offered his sincere gratitude to the foundations, organizations, companies, students and staff, individuals and the Malson Family who came forward and pushed the project over its goal to meet the January 31 deadline. He also acknowledged the generous contribution of three million dollars from the Murdough Foundation, and the many other significant contributions that made the effort possible.  The official groundbreaking for the new Hudson Memorial Stadium is scheduled for March 2012.  The goal is to have the stadium ready for the fall season.

Proud of Hudson fireworks!

The 2011 Hudson fireworks took place Sat, July 2.   The show took place on the grounds of Barlow Farm Park.

The theme for this year’s fireworks campaign was “Proud to be American. Proud to be in Hudson.” A fitting title because Fourth of July fireworks are more than an American tradition; they are a long-standing Hudson tradition.

During these challenging economic times, many of our neighboring communities have been forced to cancel long-running fireworks shows. We want to thank residents and businesses that have donated in the past to maintain Hudson’s Independence Day fireworks, as well as the City of Hudson for its generous operational support.

Hudson Community Foundation was pleased to once again lead the community’s fundraising efforts to keep the fireworks in Hudson. We invite you to join your friends and neighbors in our commitment to maintain our fireworks tradition and enrich our community for years to come.

Special thanks to The ForTec Companies having donated $5,000 toward this year’s Fireworks campaign.

Your contribution is critical to preserve the fireworks in Hudson. This is an opportunity for everyone in our community to make a difference and show their pride, not only in America, but in Hudson. Through generous resident and business giving the last five years, the Fireworks Endowment Fund has made good progress; however, our goal of $500,000 remains a formidable challenge. Your contribution helps our community provide fireworks this year, and hopefully, for many years to come.

Thank you in advance for your generosity. We hope you’ll plan on attending Hudson’s Fireworks in 2012 for a spectacular evening.

HUDSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION LEADS EFFORT TO RAISE FUNDS FOR FIREWORKS

May 15, 2011 – The Hudson Community Foundation continues to spearhead efforts to fund local fireworks.
“Fourth of July fireworks, a 38-year tradition in Hudson, is only possible through the generous support of our sponsors and community residents,” said HCF Board Member and Fireworks Co-Chair Bill Sedlacek. The cost of the annual fireworks alone, not including city services, is approximately $35,000, “It’s an amazing value given to us by American Fireworks. They take great pride in putting on a fantastic show for their hometown.”

HCF has led the effort to collect donations and find sponsors for the past four years. “Our goal is to endow the event for years to come to ensure there are always fireworks to celebrate Independence Day. We need $500,000 to do that,” said Sedlacek. “Our children and our families deserve to keep this wonderful tradition.”

HCF soon will be sending letters to residents asking for donations. “We truly hope that residents will continue to be as generous as they have in the past. We all love and enjoy the fireworks. It’s worth supporting,” Sedlacek said.

In addition to donations from individuals, last year’s show sponsors were The Fortec Companies, The Burton D. Moran Foundation, University Hospitals – Hudson Health Center, The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation, Heinen’s Fine Foods, FirstMerit and North End.

Hudson Community Foundation is a non-profit 501 c (3) organization whose mission is “Enriching Hudson Forever by Empowering Simple, Smart & Meaningful Philanthropy.” Its four areas of interest are Youth Education and Recreation, Arts and Culture, Historical and Environmental Preservation, and Social Services. For information about the Hudson Community Foundation, or to send a contribution, contact Hudson Community Foundation at 330-655-3580; P.O. Box 944, Hudson, OH 44236.

The Scholarship Made the Difference

At one of our at- home meetings with Hudson residents, Maggie McGrainor heard us talk about scholarship funds and what they can mean to students realizing their educational dreams.  For some kids it is the difference between a college degree or none at all.

This aroused in her emotions about her Father’s untimely death when she was in her sophomore year at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.” I shared a special relationship with my Father,” says Maggie, “I was devastated with the loss.” Maggie had not given much thought about how she would go forward with her education.  After the funeral, the Dean of her school stepped forward and offered a welcome and timely solution: an offer of a $500 annual scholarship and a part-time job at the college library. For Maggie this support made the difference and its true value has been with her all these years. Maggie’s Husband, Ron benefitted from a scholarship during his college years as well.

Maggie decided to establish a scholarship fund at Hudson Community Foundation as a memorial to her Husband, Ron. In 2006 she established the Ronald and Margaret McGrainor Scholarship Fund at Hudson Community Foundation. Maggie specified that annual scholarships grants be made in two ways: In Ron’s name, for scholarships in engineering and in Maggie’s name, for scholarships in the Arts.

HCF’s scholarship program is now approved by the Board of Education. The McGrainor scholarships are administered by the Hudson Public Schools Endowment Fund (HPSEF). Hudson Community Foundation coordinates these arrangements and funds grants to the School which awards the grants in the McGrainor family’s name.

“It’s our way of giving back to our community.  Scholarships made a difference in our lives. We hope that our efforts will make a meaningful difference in the lives of other students,” says Maggie. “The Senior Awards Assembly in May is a special event for me and my family. It’s a wonderful experience to hear and feel the appreciation of the kids.”

Division Street

Phil Tobin

Philip T. Tobin is founder, Chairman and CEO of American Endowment Foundation.

Prior to co- founding AEF in 1992, he was Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of The Cleveland Foundation, America’s first community foundation.

Phil was a founding director of The Investment Fund for Foundations (TIFF).

Phil is a member of the International Association of Advisors in Philanthropy.

About Jim