Foundation of Generosity
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to have unexpected and far-reaching consequences across Butler County.
The Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation has been challenged by the ongoing pandemic, which has forced the organization to cancel events such as October's Tuff Tornado Run and forced its April Fine Arts & Beyond Showcase into a virtual reality format.
The foundation's mission statement is to enhance the lives of the Butler Area School District's students, and in doing so, strengthen the Butler community as a whole.
It's an independent nonprofit organization that promotes excellence by providing funding through a number of programs.
What began in 1990 as an effort to replace bleacher seats at the high school has evolved into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The foundation functions as a separate entity from the Butler Area School District.
The foundation is administered by a board of volunteers focused on supporting projects that enhance educational opportunities throughout the district.
In addition to awarding scholarships to deserving graduating Butler High School seniors ($119,468.01 in scholarships to 18 seniors in 2020), the foundation supports the innovative work of Butler Area School District's faculty with Creative Teaching Grants.
Funding for these programs comes through grants and contributions from individuals, groups and fundraisers such as the Fine Arts & Beyond Showcase and the Tuff Tornado Run.
Butler County Commissioner Leslie Osche, who is on the foundation's board of directors, said, “We had a meeting last week, and we seem to be holding out OK.“People here have recognized the challenges nonprofits are facing and have stepped up the challenge. This is a pretty generous community,” she said.The FAB Showcase is the largest fundraiser for the Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation, which provides $2,000 scholarships each year to 18 graduating Butler High School seniors.The FAB Showcase brings in about $40,000 each year.John Reddick, the foundation's president, said, “COVID-19 hit in March and forced us to cancel the Fine Arts & Beyond Showcase and the Tuff Tornado Run.“This year we are walking a line. (The arts showcase) is scheduled for April 10,” Reddick said.We may be “doing it virtual again,” he said.Caught off guardLast year, according to Reddick, the pandemic restrictions caught showcase organizers off guard.He said the foundation scrambled to transform the showcase for art and music students into a virtual reality exhibition.“The art was on display,” Reddick said. “We didn't sell or judge any of the work. It was a celebration of the students.”He noted the foundation conducted a 50/50 raffle and a basket sale last year in an attempt to recoup some of the lost revenue.“We did salvage some finances received from those,” Reddick said.He noted that the FAB sponsors, who bought ads in the event's program, did not ask for their money back.“This year, the foundation — when we realized that we probably won't be able to have sales of artwork again this year — is kicking around the idea of expanding the show to include any student in the school district,” he said.Feeding studentsMoney raised by the arts showcase goes to fund other programs, such as the Kids' Weekend Backpack Program.
Retired teacher Audray Muscatello Yost, a team leader with the backpack program, said it provides food for weekends and days that school isn't in session to 245 students and 27 cyberstudents in kindergarten through fourth grade.Each student participating discreetly receives a plastic bag each Friday packed with child-friendly, single-serving snacks and easily prepared meals in their backpack.“The program has been pretty lucky,” Muscatello Yost said. “People have been donating food and money to the program.”It has proved fortunate, she said, because the cancellation of last year's arts showcase decreased money raised from raffle and basket tickets.Because school was closed for a good part of November and all of December, the size of the food bags sent home with students increased.Muscatello Yost said bags packed for students increased from 27 food items in November to 72 items for December.And because the school district is going to a Monday-through-Thursday schedule, with Friday being a day to attend classes remotely from home, demand for food has grown, she said.She said the foundation hopes to begin selling raffle and basket tickets in February, ahead of the April arts showcase.“State law means we can only take cash or checks for tickets,” Muscatello Yost said. “People are not allowed to use credit or debit cards. They can't use Venmo or PayPal either.”The program also accepts monetary and food donations.
Monetary donations should be made out to the Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation Inc., with “Backpack program” written on the memo line of checks, and sent to McQuistion School, 210 Mechling Drive, Butler, PA 16001, Attn: Kim Thomas, said Muscatello Yost.Creative teaching grantsThe foundation also has provided money in the form of creative teaching grants to instructors who want to pursue a project that is not budgeted.Reddick said the foundation awarded only one grant in 2020, mostly because teachers were more focused on just teaching, whether in the classroom, via the internet or in some hybrid combination.The 18 scholarships the foundation awards to graduating Butler High seniors will continue this year, as will the backpack program and the teaching grants, he said. The foundation still has money to bridge this blip in its fundraising.Reddick said the foundation is determined to fulfill its mission.“COVID came and changed the world, but it hasn't changed our mission,” he said. “We are still trying to advocate for the students in the Butler Area School District.”
