Paige Gaunce Benson, Patrick Gaunce and Kevin Gaunce pose together at Gaunce Management in downtown Glasgow on Monday, March 15, 2021. The three were together Monday to present three $100,000 checks to three school systems.
(BRENNAN CRAIN/WCLU NEWS)
Brennan Crain and Palmer Lessenberry contributed to this story.
GLASGOW, Ky. — The legacy of two former community members will live on through a newly established scholarship fund.
The scholarship will honor the memories of the late Wayne and Chapatcha “Pat” Gaunce. Some may have called them philanthropists, but the initiaters of the scholarship called them “Mamma and Daddy.”
“As a child I remember Mamma going to a young mom who was struggling – just exhausted,” said Paige Gaunce Benson.
Benson remembers how her mother would often cook meals for those in need of food. Though Pat was constrained to the confines of a wheelchair throughout the last few years of her life, she continued her service.
“And Daddy the same way,” Benson said. “He poured into so many people.”
Paige, Kevin and Patrick Gaunce are the children of the late couple. The three joined together Monday to present three school systems with $100,000. The total investment from the Gaunce family to Barren County Schools, Caverna Independent Schools and Glasgow Independent Schools is $300,000.
The fund seeks to offer aid for service oriented high schoolers pursuing a secondary education.
“Mom and Dad were so generous. They taught us giving,” Kevin said. “I think one reason that God has blessed Dad and Patrick in the company is that they’ve been so faithful to give.”
Patrick said the plan to invest in the community’s children was devised before Wayne’s death in December 2020.
“A lot of this is just his desire,” Patrick said. “Not that he wanted his name on anything, but we tried to find a way we could honor Mamma and Daddy over a period of time.”
Though the scholarship details will be left to each school system, the three imagine students similar to their parents will benefit from the award.
“He wore a cloak of humility that made him such a man of God, but you never heard from his lips,” Paige said. “He just wore it. He did the things he did, and it just was such a natural thing.”
The Gaunces were generous up until their last days, according to their children. The couple spent time providing to causes financially and devoted themselves to institutions like the Boys and Girls Club of Glasgow and Barren County.
The Gaunce family hopes to commemorate the lasting legacy of love and generosity their parents left. And through a series of local scholarships, they hope to uplift young people dedicated to fostering a healthy and thriving community.
The scholarship is expected to begin as early as May. Each school will disperse the money.
More information can be found at each respective school.
