Celebration of Community
Celebrating Community, Values, and Vision:
A Night at Stuart’s Opera House
On Wednesday, May 7, 2025, the Athens County Foundation welcomed friends and partners to Stuart’s Opera House for our annual Celebration of Community—a heartfelt evening recognizing the people and values that guide our collective efforts in Athens County.
This year’s event was filled with warmth, connection, and inspiration. We gathered not only to reflect on shared accomplishments but also to honor individuals whose contributions embody the Foundation’s core values of Trust, Hope, Collaboration, Inclusion, and Courage.
We proudly recognized:
- Woman of the Year: Ginger Schmalenberg
- Senior of the Year: Lee Gregg
- Foster B. Cornwell Awardee: Tee Ford
Each honoree has made a lasting impact through service and leadership. Their work strengthens our county’s fabric and reflects the possibilities that emerge when we lead together.
The night’s energy echoed ACF’s mission: to build on the strengths of our community, advancing participation and collaboration to address longstanding challenges and pursue extraordinary opportunities. When our neighbors come together in shared purpose, progress becomes not only possible but inevitable.
Photos from the evening, captured by Rich-Joseph Facun, will be featured throughout the gallery below.
Articles by Category
Stories of Collaboration and Belonging
Annual Business Meeting
The Athens County Foundation (ACF) invites you to our Annual Business Meeting on January 29, 2026. This event is our opportunity to reflect on the business achievements and milestones accomplished during Fiscal Year 2025 and share our plans for the year ahead.
Click on 01 for more information and to RSVP
Tax Law Update
We want to share with you this useful article from Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio which includes a summary of IRS rules, sample written acknowledgments, and helpful links.
Click on 02 for Pro Bono article
Civic Experiment Grant
Civic Experiments are local projects introducing new, sometimes unexpected or informal, civic opportunities in our communities. Civic Experiment grants are small (5,000-$15,000), 1-year programmatic grants. All Civic Experiments must be conducted in Athens County. Portal is open now-January 30
Click on 03 for more information
Strengths + Strengths
Strengths+Strengths is a special initiative designed to provide nonprofit organizations throughout Athens County with access to professional resources, expert insights, and leading best practices. The goal is to help those who do good do even better. Join us February 11 at noon at the Athens Public Library for the nonprofit Leaders Lunch
Click on 04 for more information
