Jennifer Moonsong/ WCLU News Director
The Metcalfe County school district, staff, and alumni have announced the formation of the Metcalfe County Educational Foundation, a nonprofit organization created to serve as a preeminent vehicle for charitable giving for educational purposes in Metcalfe County.
The mission of the foundation is to create and foster and enduring legacy of support and prosperity for Metcalfe County Kentucky‘s next generation.
On Monday, August 19 at the Metcalfe County Board of Education there was a ribbon-cutting and an official introduction of the 501c3 to the community.
Metcalfe County, Schools Director of Communications, Torrie Osbon, explained the process involved in the formation of the foundation by saying, “When I first came to work for the district one of the first things former superintendent Dr. Lile spoke with me about was the creation of a foundation. It has been a long process, but we are so excited to finally announced the creation of what we believe to be an organization that can have a lasting impact on the lives of our students.”
Efforts to form the foundation were slowed down considerably by the pandemic.
At the gathering, several people spoke, including Dr. Benny Lile, Superintendent Josh Hurt, and well-known Metcalfe County alumni, JP Blevins, who went from being a Metcalfe Hornet to a Kentucky Wildcat.
“The MCEF will have three missions.
Academic talent identification, civic engagement, that is getting our young people educated and involved, and scholarships. Especially memorial scholarships. We will not limit our activities to that, but that will be the foundation, we want everyone who loves the children of Metcalfe County to get involved,” Lile said.
Superintendent Josh Hurt added , “We are so blessed to live where we live, and have the support of each other. Metcalfe County is special in the way, and I am proud to be a Hornet.”
Jp Blevins also spoke and is a self proclaimed “hornet through and through”. Despite his travels and advances in life, he said that Metcalfe was always home, and that for many years, he had hoped to become part of something to mentor and help the children in Metcalfe County.
MCEF board members and President, Dr. Benny Lile.
JP Blevins, famed athlete and Metcalfe alumni spoke about the importance of the foundation’s formation.
“This foundation has the ability to help kids that might not have resources to get a secondary education, this can help Metcalfe for generations to come,” said Blevins.
Both Lile and Osbon indicated that the newly formed Board of Directors studied several existing educational foundations to develop a direction in Mission that would be you need to Metcalfe County. The board wanted to ensure the foundation included, but was not limited to serving students who might not otherwise have opportunities outside of the regular school day. A future goal of the foundation is to work conjointly with the Metcalfe County Alumni Association to provide for reaching services for students and graduate of Metcalfe County Schools.
