Skip to content
Log In

Arnold E. & Donna Lies Family Endowment Fund

Established 2009

Donna & Arnold Lies
Donna & Arnold Lies

The Arnold E. and Donna Lies Family Endowment Fund was established to provide support for the charitable needs of the Aurora community.

Arnold Lies (1929-2015) was a lifelong resident of Aurora.  He attended St. Therese Grade School, Marmion Academy and Marquette University.

Mr. Lies was a second lieutenant in the United States Army during the Korean War.  He was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia and Camp Cooke in California.

For over fifty years, he owned and operated the Arnold Lies Company, a contracting firm responsible for the construction of many notable buildings in the Aurora area.

He gave back to his community through his service to Holy Angels Church, Provena Mercy Medical Center, Aurora Exchange Club and the West Aurora High School Sports Boosters Club.

Donna Lies (1931-2016) was a graduate of Holy Angels Grade School and West Aurora High School.

She volunteered for Provena Mercy Medical Center and St. Anne’s Society of Holy Angels Church.

At the time they created their fund within the Community Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Lies commented: “We have created an endowment fund to provide an ongoing legacy for the benefit of the community in which we have lived and raised our family.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

Install Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

Install this application on your home screen for quick and easy access when you’re on the go.

Just tap then “Add to Home Screen”

Accessibility Toolbar