Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Three Berkshire Taconic Scholarship Funds Award $40K Grants in NW Corner

August 25, 2010

SHEFFIELD, MA—Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation announced today the award of three scholarships in the Northwest Corner totaling almost $40,000.

The Teddy Lee Drumm Memorial Scholarship Fund awarded $2,000 in scholarships to three students from Sharon, CT: Chelsea Ziegler, to attend the University of Connecticut; Marie Christensen to attend Utica College; and Kellie Christensen, to attend Keystone College.

The Teddy Lee Drumm Memorial Scholarship Fund, an endowment of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, is now in its 11th year of awarding scholarships and over the course of its history has awarded more than $16,000 to 16 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, 2011.

Josh Allyn was awarded $1,000 from the George and Lucille Buterbaugh Scholarship Fund and will attend the University of Connecticut. George and Lucille Buterbaugh came to the town of Salisbury in 1965 and lived there for more than 30 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, 2011.

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. $22,800 in scholarships was awarded to the following individuals who showed a need for assistance and a commitment to a healthcare career in the communities of Northwest Connecticut or Northeast Dutchess County: Sabina Busby of Cornwall Bridge; Jenna Johnson of Torrington, Kayla King of Falls Village, Zachary Sawicki of Cornwall; Whitney Moody of Canaan; Terre Lefferts of Salisbury; Amber Victory of Canaan; Chantel Richards of Canaan; and Jennifer Taborda of Sharon. The next deadline for the Tabor Scholarships will be June, 2011.

"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.”

Click here to make a donation. Applications can be found here or by calling 413.229.0370. For more information, you may also email us at info@berkshiretaconic.org.

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation was founded in Salisbury, CT in 1987. Since that time, Berkshire Taconic has distributed over $10 million to benefit residents of the Northwest Corner of Connecticut through scholarships and grants for programs in the arts and education, health and human services, and environmental protection. Berkshire Taconic is the community foundation for Northwest Litchfield County, CT, Northeast Dutchess County and Columbia County, NY, and Berkshire County, MA, building stronger communities and improving the quality of life for everyone in its region. Berkshire Taconic is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

###