Friends and stakeholders of the Kosciusko County Community Foundation came together Nov. 19 to celebrate the Foundation's 35th anniversary of service to the foundation.

Board member the Rev. Jerry Yoder began the celebration with an invocation. Foundation board president Robert Condon presented the 2003 annual report and shared highlights from the fiscal year ending June 30, including:

• The foundation's assets totaled $21,683,281.

• The establishment of 14 new funds.

• Professional advisor workshops hosted by the foundation, allowing professionals the opportunity to discuss challenging situations from the fields of estate and financial planning, taxes and charitable giving. Professional advisors created their own donor-advised fund at the community foundation for the benefit of the charitable projects of their choice.

• College and vocational training scholarships totaling more than $150,000 were awarded to 142 county residents.

• Unrestricted grants totaling more than $117,000 were made for charitable needs that emerged in 2002-03.

• Grant making from all funds totaled almost $1 million.

• More than 100 volunteers helped further the mission of the Community Foundation through their work on committees like scholarship, public relations, grants and finance.

• Forty-four people were recognized at the 2003 Heart of Gold reception for their extraordinary acts of service in the community.

• The foundation's youth pod, Kosciusko Endowment Youth Services learned leadership, teamwork and grant-making skills. They awarded more than $13,000 in educational grants throughout the community.

The community foundation's executive director, Suzanne Light, recognized retiring board members Don Allen, James Caskey, Maureen Hall, Grant McGuire and Becky Thomas for their years of service. Light also welcomed new board members Alan Alderfer, Jeanne Grossnickle and Craig Tidball.

Allen facilitated the election of officers for the coming year. The following were presented for consideration and unanimously approved: Robert Condon, president; Carolyn Anderson, vice president; Avis Gunter, secretary; Alan Wuthrich, treasurer; and Suzanne Light, executive director.

The remainder of the meeting consisted of a look back from 1968 - the year the foundation was established - through 2003, highlighting important milestones for the foundation and in history.

A Power Point presentation coincided with speakers at tables representing each year. The audience enjoyed remembering when, for example, in 1972 the foundation's assets were $870 - the same year the first e-mail was sent, introducing the @ symbol; and the same year the median household income was $9,697.

The celebration concluded with a presentation from National City Bank to the Kosciusko County Community Foundation of a check for $20,300 to endow a fund to support the Heart of Gold program. National City Bank recognized the value in celebrating "everyday citizens who commit extraordinary acts of service to others in our community" and wanted to see the program continue for years to come.

Copies of the complete annual report are available to the public at the Kosciusko County Community Foundation office, 102 E. Market St., Warsaw. [[In-content Ad]]