De Pere Rotary Foundation, Inc.

The De Pere Rotary Foundation, Inc. of the De Pere Rotary Club has been granting scholarships since 1970.  The Foundation had its beginning back on November 11, 1968 when it was founded by De Pere Rotarian Les Smith.  In his memory, the scholarships granted by the Foundation have been named the “Leslie J. Smith Scholarship Awards.”  The corporation was created and is to be managed and administered exclusively for charitable and educational purposes.

In FY 1968-1969, the Foundation received $1,000 from an auction held by the Rotary Club and received $495 in personal contributions from the Christmas Party.  No scholarships were granted due to the small fund balance.  In FY 1969-1970, stock donations were made to the Foundation from club members that netted the Foundation $6,989.68.  That year the “corn party” produced $513.16, the Christmas party $1,022.65 and interest was received in the amount of $245.45.  The first scholarships were awarded in 1970 to three students in the amount of $200 each.  Since that modest beginning, the Foundation has granted scholarships to 176 high school students totaling $149,500. This year the Foundation will grant five college scholarships totalling $7,500 to high school students from the De Pere school districts.

The support of club members through various fundraisers in the past, i.e., the Pink Flamingo Booyah, corn party, spaghetti dinner, etc. and the generous personal contributions by club members at our annual Christmas Party have made it possible for the club to provide these scholarships to high school students.

For more information and to contribute to the De Pere Rotary Foundation send your contribution to:

De Pere Rotary Foundation
C/O Chuck Albers
P. O. Box 23100
Green Bay, WI  54305-3100