Friends of Gary Wilson have established a Memorial Fund at South Madison Community Foundation in honor of Gary’s legacy of leadership and inspiration to Indiana’s livestock community through his work with youth.

Gary deeply cared for his students; he saw something in people that sometimes they, themselves, could not. He pulled hidden strength out of friends’ and strangers’ hearts and showed them they could do hard things.

Most members of Open Hearts, Open Purses had not considered the intricate dangers an accident scene can pose to first responders. Heavy vehicles, steep embankments, muddy or icy conditions can all affect an accident scene. Extricating passengers in these conditions is a critical challenge made safer by the purchase of cribbing equipment made possible by the members of Open Hearts, Open Purses, who voted to award $10,000 for the purchase of such equipment with their pooled grant funds in 2012. 

For an entire decade, South Madison Community Foundation was a proud affiliate of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Through donor support, including a $10,000 start-up grant from the members of Open Hearts, Open Purses, South Madison Community Foundation paid the annual enrollment fee of any child birth through age 5 living in our communities. Enrolled children received a book by mail every single month for their first five years, and we stayed in regular contact with their families, sharing family friendly news and events pertinent to young families.

The value of a college education is incalculable. Not solely a means to greater financial security, degrees open the door to certain professions - even callings - that would be otherwise closed. Developing the mind should be a life-long endeavor - and the unfortunate lack of financial means should not be a barrier for the motivated learner. These beliefs led Foundation donors to create the Harless Educational Assistance Fund.

“Best Buddies envisions a world where people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are so successfully integrated into schools, workplaces and communities that its current efforts and services will be unnecessary. Until that vision becomes a reality, we look to continue to educate students, community members, corporations and employers about the emotional, functional, and natural needs and abilities of people with IDD.”

~Best Buddies International

During a 2003 fundraising campaign in which donations to the South Madison Community Foundation were matched $2 for $1 by Lilly Endowment, Dr. Robert Begley and Mrs. Linda Begley donated $10,000 to open a fund to benefit South Madison County’s future.

What do you do when you love all your small town has to offer? How do you choose just one cause to support?