WCCF Hosts Annual Dinner, Honors Smucker Family

Wooster, Ohio: A full-house at the Shisler Conference Center was on hand to Celebrate Philanthropy at the Wayne County Community Foundation’s annual dinner on Wednesday, October 8, 2014. The community foundation concept was born one hundred years ago in Cleveland, Ohio – giving rise to a new philanthropy, a new way of participating in community, and a new vision for the future.

The Smucker Family was honored at the event, as the 2014 Friend of Philanthropy recipient. The Smucker Family has called Wayne County home for over 115 years, providing philanthropic and community leadership for over four generations – a standard of generosity that few can match. The Smuckers, in demonstrating their dedication to education, family health, and quality of life, have truly made philanthropy a family affair. During his acceptance of the Friend of Philanthropy Award on behalf of the family, Tim Smucker described how giving back to this community, in both big and small ways, is rewarding – and something anyone can do.

The dinner also featured Robert Eckardt, Executive Vice President of Cleveland Foundation, as the keynote speaker. Eckardt highlighted the past while focusing on the bright future ahead for community foundations. Eckardt described how community foundations give people the power to do something bigger than themselves – to address issues they con not fix alone. Community Foundations provide a bridge between generations, enabling one generation to help the next and many generations to come.

As Board President Steve Matthew noted, philanthropy is about caring for others and giving of your time and talents to help people with less. The Wayne County Community Foundation is helping people invest in the future of the communities and causes they care about.

Since 1978, the Wayne County Community Foundation has been working to strengthen the community we all share. It is a nonprofit charitable community organization. Since inception, WCCF has awarded over $55 million in grants and scholarships back into the community. For more information about the Foundation call 330.262.3877 or visit www.waynecountycommunityfoundation.org.

Pictures of the event