CCCF brings month of giving to close with celebration

Josh Flynn, Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, Ind.
·3 min read

Oct. 3—The Cass County Community Foundation capped off their 30th anniversary with a celebration at the State Theatre Saturday night, Sept. 30.

And since it was the community foundation, there was a lot of giving involved.

Six names were drawn at the end of the event and those six people were given the opponent to choose a Cass County organization to receive $5,000 in funding.

The six organizations that benefitted from the gifts included the Cass County Honor Guard, the Cass County Humane Society Endowment, the Domestic Violence Task Force, Community Pride Fund/Pioneer Area, the Weekday Religious Education Fund and the Logansport Art Association Sydor Endowment.

Earlier in the day, the foundation delivered 300 loaves of bread to the Emmaus Mission Center as the final gift of their 30 Days of Giving. Throughout September, the foundation had given gifts such as 30 books to local libraries, gifting organizations with items they could use each day of the month. They also offered gifts that radio listeners could win.

When it came to Emmaus, 30 loaves of bread didn't seem like enough, said foundation CEO and executive director Deanna Crispen.

In all, the Cass County Community Foundation gave out over 900 gifts during the month of September.

Throughout the night, various community members took to the stage and told the audience how the foundation had helped them and their organizations. This included Jason Mitchell, executive director at Emmaus, Eric Regan of 4th Dimension Recovery Home and Lewis Cass's Matthew Snoeberger, a robotics mentor in Cass County.

Richard and Rose Gates Discovery Award winners Ian Hook and Alaina Sanchez also got to perform.

Hook was awarded the very first Discovery Award to attend summer workshops at the Berklee School of Music in 2022 between his junior and senior school years at Lewis Cass. Because of Hook's persistence in asking for help to attend the workshops, the award was created for all Cass County high school students to benefit from.

Hook debuted an orchestral piece he was commissioned to write called "From Promise to Pearl," which he said was inspired by the promise that the foundation held when it began and its evolution over its 30 years. Sanchez showcased her ballet skills, which she used her Gates Discovery Award to study at the Joffrey School of Ballet in Dallas.

The night began on an emotional note when Steve Russell, Cass County 4-H president, was presented the Richard W. Cassidy Jr. Thanks for Giving award. The award was established in 2001 in honor of Richard Cassidy Jr., an original CCCF board member and longtime supporter of charitable and volunteer works in Cass County. The award is not presented every year and Russell was only the 14th recipient since its inception.

Russell recently retired from Logansport Utilities and he and his wife, Annette, live in Logansport.

Crispen described Russell as a person who leads by example, and his colleagues describe him as a big picture thinker but one who always makes sure all the details are covered before a project is started.

The foundation board also took a moment to surprise Crispen with a pearl necklace to commemorate the 30th anniversary.

"Nobody does the work that we do unless you love people and care about your community," Crispen said after receiving the gift. "I've told people that the work that I am doing right now is for my grandchildren. They are the reason I work. They are the reason I want to make this a vibrant place and make sure they have resources to be like Ian Hook and to be like Alaina."