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Mary S. Bertolini Hope Fund

Established 2006

Mary S. Bertolini
Mary S. Bertolini

The Mary S. Bertolini Hope Advisory Fund was created by her family to celebrate the life of this extraordinary woman.

Mary (Guerrieri) Bertolini (1960-2005) of Arlington Heights was born and raised on the northwest side of Chicago. She was the fifth of six children.

Mary was soft-spoken, caring, honest and intelligent. She was the consummate volunteer, willingly assisting anyone and everyone who needed help.

In 2004, Mary was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. According to her sister Grace McKnight, “Through her kind acts, quick wit and positive gracious demeanor, even in her most trying hours, Mary showed all of us how we should live and how we should die. Mary’s life was all about hope.”

The word “hope” is an integral part of the fund name because “hope” was an integral part of Mary’s life. Contributions received in her memory will be directed to awareness efforts, research for early detection and a cure for ovarian cancer.

Mary was survived by her husband Kenneth, son Anthony and daughter Sarah.

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

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 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

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

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

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

Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

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