Winners announced for first Fayette Philanthropy Project competition
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) hosted a dinner to recognize the philanthrophic work of the CFFC and its members. During the program the Eberly Foundation was named phillantrophist of the year and the winner and participants of the Philanthrophy Project were honored.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) hosted a dinner to honor the Philanthrophy Project competition participants (from left) Gina Jones, Jim John, Ryan Galiotto and James Protin. During the dinner, Jim John was named the winner of the Philanthrophy Project.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
During a dinner recently hosted by the Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) the Eberly Foundation was honored as the philanthrophist of the year. Representing the Eberly Foundation are (from left) Charmaine Sampson, foundation administrative assistant; Robert Eberly III, foundation trustee and Ruth Carter, foundation vice president and secretary.
Uniontown resident Jim John, who raised $12,000 for a charitable fund he created in memory of his late brother, was named winner of the Community Foundation of Fayette County’s first Fayette Philanthropy Project.
But the entire county benefited as the program produced four new philanthropists, who raised more than $22,000 to help their communities.
John was moved to tears as he talked about his younger brother, Matthew Ryan John, who died last year from an accidental drug interaction, as the four participants were introduced to a large crowd who attended the community foundation’s dinner Thursday at the Summit Inn in Chalk Hill.
“He was good at heart and had philanthropy in his heart,” said John, a graduate of Laurel Highlands High School and Bucknell University who is employed by Craft Tire in Uniontown.
John’s fund will be used to support education programs about drugs, addiction and destructive decision making.
He said, “If we can help one person through better awareness, it’s a job well done.”
John won the competition by raising the most money among four participants in the Fayette Philanthropy Project, which the community foundation started last spring in an effort to teach the community about philanthropy, encourage new philanthropists, foster interest in charitable giving and honor established philanthropists.
James Foutz, board chairman, told the audience, “This evening we’re going to recognize four individuals who have used their time, talent and passion to impact our local communities. They are Fayette County’s newest philanthropists.”
Results were announced at the dinner that also recognized the Eberly Foundation as Philanthropist of the Year with Robert Eberly III accepting the honor on behalf of his family. Since 1963, the foundation has awarded approximately $75 million to non-profits in southwestern Pennsylvania and beyond, including scholarships at 28 colleges and universities.
Eberly traced his family’s involvement in philanthropy back to his great-grandfather, noting he would say, “What one gives away in life, you get back tenfold.”
Eberly applauded the Fayette Philanthropy Project participants, noting, “We all have the same desire – to help other people, to help our community, to make it better than it was.”
By coming in first, John earned a two-night stay at the Chateau Lafayette at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington. He said he planned to give the prize to his parents.
John said working on the fund “opened my eyes in many directions on the scope of the problem. I think everyone has been impacted either directly or indirectly.”
Jim Protin of Washington Township won second place by raising $6,275 for the Protin Family-Mon Valley Community Fund that will support community-based organizations within the Mon Valley. Protin, who is a graduate of Charleroi Area High School, who went to UCLA and Triangle Tech, is vice president of Chester Engineers in Pittsburgh. He received a one-night stay at the Chateau Lafayette.
Protin said in an interview, “I think there’s a large misconception about the word philanthropy. I think it intimidates people. I think people think it’s a privilege of wealth when it’s a responsibility of everyone.”
Gina Jones of Uniontown came in third by raising $2,200 for a fund she created in honor of her grandmother called Lillian’s Legacy that will be used to grant scholarships and support career development for women. A graduate of Laurel Highlands High School with degrees from Penn State University and the University of Pittsburgh, she works at Penn State Fayette. Jones received a cash prize of $150.
Jones has long been involved in community service but noted in an interview one reason she decided to participate in this project was to draw attention to the work of African Americans.”
She said, “African Americans tend not to be visible in philanthropy. African Americans make up a large number of givers but nobody knows it because it’s not documented in a formal way. African Americans give at church.”
Ryan Galiotto, of Washington, placed fourth by raising $2,001 for the Randy D. Galiotto Sr. Memorial Fund that he created in honor of his father. The fund will benefit organizations his father loved or with which he was involved, including the Fayette Friends of Animals, Uniontown Hospital, Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. He received a cash prize of $100.
Galiotto, who is employed by Field Financial Services in Hopwood and has degrees from Liberty University and Waynesburg University, said his father died after he decided to participate in the philanthropy project, leading him to create a fund to honor him.
Galiotto told dinner guests, “Hopefully we can tell the world what a good man he was through this fund.”
The competition required the participants to raise at least $2,000, using any type of legal means such as guest bartender nights or walks and dinner events, for any of the community foundation’s existing fund or the creation of a new fund.
After the dinner, Clara Pascoe, community foundation executive director, said the competition will continue.
“If anybody’s interested, they can contact the office,” she said. “They can start now. We hope to have at least five participants next year.”
More information is available by contacting the community foundation at 724-437-8600.