Fulton County Community Foundation hosted their annual #GivingTuesday event.
Pictured: LeeAnn Pollock
Community members and donors stopped by the Community Foundation office to contribute to the annual fundraising event.In celebration of #GivingTuesday, Fulton County donors contributed more than $98,000 to the Community Foundation.
The Community Foundation offered a $1 for $1 matching opportunity up to $10,000 in total; $5,000 supporting both the Lake Manitou Association Maintenance and Sustainability Fund and the Fulton County Promise Indiana 529 Fund. The Lake Manitou Association Maintenance and Sustainability Fund supports Lake Manitou Association’s efforts, such support shall be used for the health of the water resource through aquatic plant control and other essential maintenance projects. The Fulton County Promise Indiana 529 Fund helps families create saving accounts for higher education for the youth of Fulton County.The fundraising goals were met and exceeded due to generous donors.All gifts that were made to the Fulton County Community Foundation will help better the quality of life in Fulton County.
“#GivingTuesday might be an international day of giving but our local community has made it their own over the years,” said Fulton County Director of Development Brian Johnson. “We are so grateful to the generous donors who participated in #GivingTuesday and support our efforts every other day of the year.”
The Fulton County Community Foundation (FCCF) created the Lifetime Philanthropy Award to honor those who have made a positive impact in our community through philanthropic efforts. The award was presented on #GivingTuesday, November 30, 2021 to LeeAnn Pollock on behalf of the Baxter family.
The Baxter Family created the first ever fund, the Baxter Inc. fund, at the Northern Indiana Community Foundation. Over the years, the Baxter Family is responsible for starting a number of funds that go to support different causes in the community. In addition to the Baxter Inc. Fund, family members have also created the Ernest O. Baxter Fund, M.M. Fund, Baxter Family Pharmaceutical Scholarship Fund, Fulton County Cancer Fund, Fulton County Cancer Fund Endowment, Baxter/Pollock Family Engineering Scholarship Fund, and the Grace United Methodist Church Fund.
Ernest and Alice Baxter moved to Rochester in 1941 and established Baxter Drugs, which was a well-known drug store before becoming Webb’s Family Pharmacy in 1990. The couple were alsomembers of Grace United Methodist Church.Ernie was a part of the Woodlawn Hospital Board and well as a group ofDowntown Merchants who raised money for 23 years to help the downtown businesses offer over 300 off street parking spaces to the community. These efforts to help the community are still present to this day.
The next generations of Baxter’s were Parke and Fran Baxter, whomarried in 1949.Both graduated from Rochester High School. Following in the footsteps of his parents, Parke ran the Baxter Drug Store. Parke and Fran were also members of the Grace United Methodist Church. They helped establish and support the Rochester Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The couple was inducted into the RHS Athletic Hall of Fame for their support over the years both financially and attending events. Together, Parke and Fran were a huge part of the community. Parke was a memberof the Kiwanis Club, Fulton County Parks Board, and sat of the Rochester School Board when the high school was built. Fran was a Rochester School teacher for 35 years and coached middle school girls basketball for several years. Later in life, Fran served as an advisor to the Fulton County Cancer’s Non Permanent Fund.
LeeAnn Pollock, who accepted the award on behalf of her family, is the daughter of Parke and Fran. She and her husband Buddy continue the Baxter family tradition of being involved and giving back to the community. We at the Fulton County Community Foundation would like to publicly recognize this long legacy of giving to inspire others to give back to their communities through both dollars and efforts. Fulton County Community Foundation and Fulton County in general have greatly benefited from the three generations of Baxter Families’ efforts to improve their community.
The FCCF is so thankful for the generosity of the community this #GivingTuesday. Thank you, Fulton County.
