Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Three Berkshire Taconic Scholarship Funds Award $29K in Scholarships to NW Corner Students

August 3, 2011

SHEFFIELD, MA—Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation today announced that over $300K in scholarships have been awarded to 172 students throughout the region. Three scholarship funds awarded a total of $29,000 to students from northwest Litchfield County, CT. The funds— the Teddy Lee Drumm Memorial Scholarship Fund, the George and Lucille Buterbaugh Scholarship Fund, the Housatonic Valley Regional High School Alumni Association Scholarship and the Tabor Foundation Health Care Scholarships—made awards to 15 students.

“More scholarship funds have opened at the foundation this year and our investments are building more assets for existing funds. And for the Northwest Corner in particular, a record amount of scholarships dollars are available for local students. This is a testament to the many donors who have created or contributed to existing scholarship funds,” said Maeve O’Dea, program director at Berkshire Taconic. “This is terrific news for the students of our communities. As we all know, a college education is often a pre-requisite for successfully navigating the world ahead. Many of our young people come from families who have not gone to college, and a robust scholarship program is key to opening new doors for our students. We’re also proud that many of our scholarship programs are renewable…in other words, a student can be supported throughout their four years of college and some even into graduate school."

The Teddy Lee Drumm Memorial Scholarship Fund awarded $6,000 in scholarships to six students from Sharon, CT.: Marie Christensen, Kellie Christensen, Meghan Crispino, Michael Kenny, Danielle Latrelle and Ellen Yahn.

The Teddy Lee Drumm Memorial Scholarship Fund, an endowment of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, is now in its 12th year of awarding scholarships and over the course of its history has awarded more than $22,000 to 22 students from Sharon, CT.

“We are thrilled that even in difficult times, the community continues to actively support our scholarship, and we are able to help young people from the Northwest Corner realize their academic goals,” said Ted Drumm. Drumm and his wife Buena established the fund in honor of their son Teddy, who died unexpectedly in 1999. The fund helps Sharon youth who are highly motivated to succeed in college and for whom the award will have a significant impact both personally and financially. The next deadline for the Teddy Lee Drumm Memorial Scholarship is May 1, 2012.

Gabriel Lefferts was awarded the George and Lucille Buterbaugh Scholarship Fund and will attend Ithaca College. George and Lucille Buterbaugh came to the town of Salisbury in 1965 and lived there for more than thirty years until their deaths in 2002 and 2004, respectively. Having a deep love of their adopted home town, they were involved in many community organizations and established the scholarship fund in 1993 to provide scholarship support to residents of the town of Salisbury with financial need. The next deadline for the George and Lucille Buterbaugh Scholarship Fund is May 1, 2012.

The Housatonic Valley Regional High School Alumni Association Scholarship was awarded to Michael Kenny. The scholarship is given to students whose parents or grandparents are school alumni.

The Tabor Foundation Health Care Scholarships support training in health care careers for residents of Northwest Connecticut and Northeast Dutchess County who need financial assistance to further their health care education. $20,000 in scholarships was awarded to individuals who showed a commitment to a healthcare career in the communities of Northwest Connecticut or Northeast Dutchess County: Corina Benack of Salisbury; Sabina Busby of Cornwall Bridge; Elizabeth Hoag of Salisbury; Chantel Richards of Canaan; Eva Roode of Warren; Zachary Sawicki of Cornwall; Jennifer Taborda of Sharon; and Amber Victory of Canaan. The next deadline for the Tabor Scholarships will be June, 2012.

"As an out-of-state student at Columbia-Greene, my tuition is quite expensive,” said Sharon resident and scholarship recipient Jennifer Taborda. “I am so grateful that I am able to receive funding from the Tabor Foundation because it allows me to continue my education in nursing at the school of my choice. Being a mother of six, I would never be able to make it without the help I receive from them. Hopefully, one day I can give back to the fund and help someone else in need.”

To make a donation to any of these scholarship funds, please visit our website or to apply for grants and scholarships, visit online or call 413.229.0370.

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation builds stronger communities and improves the quality of life for all residents of northwest Litchfield County, CT; Berkshire County, MA; and Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, NY, acting as an agent for positive change in the region. Since 1987, Berkshire Taconic has managed a growing collection of charitable funds created by individuals, families and businesses. Each year, the foundation distributes over $7 million through grants and scholarships for programs in the arts and education, health and human services and environmental protection, helping thousands of donors achieve their philanthropic goals and hundreds of nonprofits carry on their good work. Berkshire Taconic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity.

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