Congratulations Grads and Grantees

Sep 14, 2023

The Gorge Community Foundation is delighted to announce the recipients of its 2023 scholarships and Community Grants. Thank you to all who applied, and congratulations to this group of outstanding students and organizations. We wish you every success in the years ahead.

Scholarship Award

Hood River Valley High School

• Laura Douglas Schaefer Memorial

Music Scholarship: Scarlett Caudill

• Gorham Babson Family Scholarships: Giselle Gonzalez, Danna Reyes-Pedroza, Madyson Waldron

• Jernstedt Scholarship: Lara Clute

• Corwin Hardham Memorial Scholarship: Andrea Lachino

• Hood River Leos Scholarship: Maria Flores-Granero, Mason Spears, Ruby Betzing, Araceli Lopez, Ayala Vanover, Allison Doss, Abby Tomlinson·

• Larry Sohler Trade School Scholarship: Noah McElheran, Kevin Castro

Goldendale High School

• Theo Caldwell Memorial Scholarship: Stephen Pittman

Columbia High School

·    Bartholomew Family Scholarship: Angel Michel

Community Grants

For the second year, the Community Grants program combined the Joan Burchell Fund, the Riddell and Athalie Lage Fund, the Gorge Trust Fund, the Florence and Nobi Akiyama Fund and the Kate Leadbetter Mills Fund into a single program to increase the amount of funding available.

Information about the visionary donors whose legacies comprise these funds can be found here. We are pleased to announce the 2023 Community Grant recipients:

Play Frontier: Equipment and materials for infant room

Columbia Gorge CASA: For help recruiting a more diverse group of volunteer advocates

Wyle Wind & Water: Books for use in conjunction w/HRCSD Migrant Education

FISH Food Bank: Culturally familiar food products for Hispanic clientele

Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing: Support of screening program in Mid‐Columbia region

Immigration Counseling Service: Legal service scholarship to 170 immigrants/refugees

Mt. View Grange: Folding chairs and chair caddy

Mid‐Columbia Health Foundation: Wigs and cancer care bag supplies

Sally’s Cat Fund: Spay/neuter surgeries for homeless cats

One Community Health: Health fair/celebration of Hispanic culture in the Mid‐Columbia region

Central Gorge Master Gardener Assoc.: Pollinator garden in their Learning Garden in Hood River

Eleven organizations representing Wasco, Skamania, Klickitat and Hood River Counties and serving adults, youth, and seniors received grants, representing a diverse group of applicants and projects. As always, those applications not funded through the Community Grants program were made available to our Donor Advisors and several, including Arlington High School’s youth tennis team and CultureSeed, received funding as a result.