Foundation's fair contest winners choose charities

The 2013 Putnam County Community Foundation Fair Booth Contest winners are (front, from left) eight and under winners Emily Gray and Maelyn Gibbs; and (back, from left) Jessie McKean, fair booth organizer; John Kessinger, president of the Bainbridge Improvement Society; Jennifer Gibbs, Lane Hacker and Bob Evans, founder of the Sharon Evans Endowment for Central Elementary School.

The Putnam County Community Foundation has announced the winners of its 2013 Fair contest.

Emily Gray and Maelyn Gibbs won in the age eight and under contest, each received a puzzle. Jennifer Gibbs, Lane Hacker and Mikayla Collier won in the nine and over contest and each received the opportunity to make a grant to the charity of their choice.

Gibbs chose the Bainbridge Improvement Society to be the recipient of her grant. The mission of the Bainbridge Improvement Society (BIS) is to improve community life, encourage volunteerism and help provide 'good neighbor" services in the town and community while affording opportunities for fellowship, service, education and social interaction for all age levels.

Gibbs said that she and her daughter Maelyn participate in Zumba classes at the Bainbridge Community Center.

"I wanted to give back to an organization that provides something we enjoy," Gibbs said.

Hacker chose the Sharon Evans Endowment for Central Elementary School to be the recipient of his grant. A senior at South Putnam High School, Hacker said that Sharon Evans had touched his family's life.

"She taught me, my father, my uncle and my aunt," Hacker said. "Supporting this meant something to me, and I know it is going to a good cause."

Collier chose the Be Great Today! endowment to be the recipient of her grant. Be Great Today! was started by two DePauw students and provides financial support for projects or programs preventing suicide in Putnam County. Preference is given to projects that train leaders to identify symptoms of suicide and to prevent suicide.

The foundation's contest and booth design were created by Malinda Mann from Cloverdale. Fair booth organizers were Jane Alcorn, Ellen Dittmer, Julie Thompson, Kevin Hutcheson, Mark Legan and Jessie McKean.

Featuring a five-foot puzzle of Putnam County townships, the booth gave visitors the opportunity to guess the number of puzzle pieces in a jar to win a variety of prizes.

The Putnam County Community Foundation is a public charity established in 1985 to serve donors, award grants and support community development enriching the quality of life in Putnam County. The Community Foundation administers 240 funds and endowments and has awarded more than $9 million in grants and scholarships since inception.

For more information about the Foundation, persons may call 653-4978 or visit www.pcfoundation.org.