Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Chester Dekko, founder of Dekko Heating Technologies and Group Dekko International, was an innovative man.
And through that innovation he became a wealthy man.
Dekko was also a generous man, and in 1981 he created the Dekko Foundation to give back to the northern Indiana communities that bred his success.
Since that time, the Dekko Foundation has distributed more than $24 million to achieve the foundation's mission statement - "fostering economic freedom through education."
Nineteen northern Indiana school corporations and not-for-profit organizations benefited over the past year from the philanthropy Dekko began 18 years ago. The foundation has awarded a total of $1,477,362 to the following schools and organizations, in the amounts indicated:
• Heartline Pregnancy Center, Warsaw, for its Teens 'n Tots Parenting Program - $17,000.
• Kosciusko Community YMCA Inc., Warsaw, for its capital campaign and development of a teen center - $115,000.
• Kosciusko County Foundation, Warsaw, for youth programs, early childhood education programs and community endowment and grant-making funds - $121,000.
• Lakeland Christian Academy, Warsaw, for technology purchases - $18,250.
• Manchester College, North Manchester, for the Koinonia Environmental Center - $34,200.
• Milford Area Development Council Inc., for renovation to the Milford Community building - $5,000.
• New Beginnings Child Care Inc., Milford, for its capital building project - $40,000.
• North Webster Day Care, North Webster, to renovate the building and playground - $20,000.
• North Winona Child Care Ministry, Warsaw, for educational equipment - $20,000.
• Oakwood Foundation, Syracuse, to update the facilities and educational programs - $100,000.
• Sacred Heart School, Warsaw, for an educational program on tolerance - $9,602.
• South Whitley-Cleveland Township Public Library, for its technology project - $10,800.
• South Whitley United Methodist Church for child care center equipment - $10,000.
• Syracuse-Turkey Creek Township Public Library, for its technology project - $10,800.
• Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation, for technology purchases and Project CHILD - $111,566.
• Warsaw Christian Schools for technology purchases and Project SUCCEED - $32,245.
• Warsaw Community Schools Corp. for technology purchases, school-based enterprise project, and the Reading Recovery Program - $564,604.
• Wawasee School Corp. for technology purchases and fitness lifestyle education - $107,421.
• Whitko Community Schools Corp. for technology and art equipment purchases - $120,674.
Group Dekko International is the parent company of Dekko Heating Technologies which operates eight manufacturing facilities in North Webster, Cromwell and Claypool.
