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William & Edna Bennett Scholarship Fund

Established 2009

Edna & William Bennett
Edna & William Bennett

The William and Edna Bennett Scholarship Fund was established within the Community Foundation to honor the lives of William and Edna Bennett.

This fund provides scholarships to graduates of East Aurora High School who have excelled in the athletic program at the school and who have been involved in community service.

William W. Bennett, Sr. (1919-2011) was a lifelong resident of Aurora and a member of the East Aurora High School Class of 1938.

He played football for the school and also for the semi-pro team, the Aurora Clippers.

Mr. Bennett served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II.  He retired in 1983 after thirty years with Stephens-Adamson.

Edna May (Ulferts) Bennett (1922-2002) was born in Oregon, Illinois.

She later moved to Aurora and was a member of the East Aurora High School Class of 1940.

Mr. and Mrs. Bennett were active members of Fourth Street United Methodist Church and Morning Star Community Church.

They raised four children who also were graduates of East Aurora High School.

Mr. Bennett was an ardent fan of the East Aurora Tomcat’s athletic teams. This fund was created to demonstrate the family’s pride in East Aurora and their desire to contribute to the educational success of its graduates.

YEP has made me realize the importance of being involved in my community, and how to make a difference. There are a lot of problems in the world but if we can do everything that we can to help the world will become a better place. YEP has helped me realize this and encouraged me to help more people in the future.

Madi Porter

YEP Member

Grant funds from the Community Foundation helped provide updated technology. These upgrades were transformative. By creating new time saving processes, it turned us into a more efficient organization.

Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry

Grantee

YEP was a great experience to have in high school. I became a more confident person, someone with a lot more perspective. Coming from a small school, YEP allowed me to branch out into my community, meet students from other schools, and learn about their backgrounds. I made some great friends and still keep in touch with them today.

Abby Vagnoni

YEP Alumni

I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Zari Foundation Scholarship and the Community Foundation in supporting my education. I am majoring in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology. In my spare time, I volunteer on campus, in the community and I’m also the principal violist in the symphony orchestra. I hope to make an impact on the next chapter of space exploration by eventually working at a groundbreaking aerospace company such as SpaceX or NASA.

Taytum Newell

Albert M. Zari Scholarship Recipient

Being a part of the Community Foundation scholarship committee is the highlight of my year. For many, a scholarship from the CFFRV is the reason they are able to continue reaching for their dreams and changing the future of our world. I hope each recipients knows just how inspirational they are to those of us who are lucky enough to read their stories.

Jessica Breugelmans

Scholarship Committee Member and Board Member

Give your gift of time and see what it means to the people you impact. Helping others is what life is all about.

Neal Ormond

Donor & Fund Advisor

Education is important to us. We support causes that touch our lives and align with our values. We believe in paying it forward. We are here for a short time,, and it is the next generation that will take on what we leave behind.

Michelle Emanuel

Donor and Past Scholarship Recipient

Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

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