There are a couple of Fundraisers the Class of 1976 can be a part of.
The 1976 Class Treasury and/or the Walla Walla Public High Schools Scholarship Fund (through the Blue Mountain Community Foundation). Information for both is listed below. Thank you for any donations you can provide!
Click here to donate to the class treasury.
Funds will be used for our 50th Reunion in 2026 and possible scholarships to Walla Walla High School students in the future.
We are also connecting with the Walla Walla Public High Schools Scholarship Fund. See below for more information.
Walla Walla Public High Schools Scholarship Fund
1976 Reunion Committee, I thank you and your classmates who are organizing the 40th reunion for the WA-Hi Class of 1976.
I saw the good man Gary Hanson at a recent meeting, and he shared that I should provide some scholarship information to you, in order to share with others.
The Walla Walla Public High Schools Scholarship Fund was started as a class project for the 50th Reunion of the WA-Hi Class of 1962. Since that beginning, the fund has grown to near $60,000.00 and has already provided several scholarships.
The mission of the fund is to provide scholarship to Walla Walla Public High School graduates, “ in order to further their education beyond high school”. The selection of recipients will be “ based on need”, from among those applicants “who have shown at least an average ability to succeed.”
All gifts to the fund go directly to the Blue Mountain Community Foundation, and should be noted WWPHS SF, or Walla Walla Public High Schools Scholarship Fund. The Foundation will send a receipt (401C Tax Deductible) to the donor, and if the gift is made in honor of/in memory of/or in appreciation of a third party, a nice card of acknowledgement will be sent to the honored party or designee as well. (Gifts to the Scholarship fund in honor of someone else make nice anniversary, birthday, congratulations or appreciation gifts, when one might have difficulty in selecting a “gift from the heart.”)
In the beginning, it was thought that if only one fourth of each class would give their graduation year in dollars and cents each year ( as in $19.74 per year,) that on the average, each Class could raise near $2,000.00 per year without anyone feeling a pinch.
People give according to desire and ability. Some give their graduation year monthly or annually. Some give once or annually: $25, 50, 75, 100, 250, 500, 1000, or more.
The goal is for this fund to be an opportunity for those who are willing and able to give to a very worthy cause, only if they are inclined to do so. When one listens to the Wa-Hi Senior presentations, it becomes very obvious that we have some very talented youth in our midst who come from families of very limited resources, but they are kids who have stayed clean and who have taken full advantage of educational opportunities offered. It is a joy to be able to help them further their education.
I have been working as a one man committee through the start-up phase and have plans to soon be working with my wife and the foundation in order to set up a facebook page for the fund.
After we get to the first $100,000.00, I intend to turn over the fund raising process to a committee of alumni.
Since start up, the Scholarship Fund was warmly embraced by not only the class of 62, but members of the community and other alumni.
The only promotion is done through class reunions such as yours. No funds are used for promotion.
The Blue Mountain Community Foundation awards to recipients, approx. 4.5% of the fund balance on June 1 of previous year, and charges the fund approximately 1.3% order to cover costs of managing investments, soliciting applicants, and managing application process, while the actual selection of recipients is done by the Foundation scholarship committee through a blind process.
The Blue Mountain Community Foundation has been a sound and wonderful partner in the establishment and operation of this fund. It would not have been possible for me to get this process up and running without them. With a small staff and quite a few board and committee members from the community, the Blue Mountain Community Foundation now administers approximately $40,000,000.00 worth of funds designated for regional charitable good.
A sound partner in the establishment of the Walla Walla Public Schools Scholarship Fund has been 1962 Class mate Garth Lindsey, who will match the first $2,000.00 of funds gathered by your class within 90 days of your reunion. I will tell you that Garth has been very loyal and generous in the overall scholarship fund raising process. This does not preclude other classmates from matching as well.
All gifts must be marked with graduation year in order to receive matching credit.
I remain committed to helping wherever possible in sharing word of this fund with your classmates. Gary Hanson said that he would be happy to speak about it to classmates at the reunion A gift to the scholarship fund is a gift that keeps on giving, as only earned interest is distributed. The balance will hopefully remain working, in order to help generations throughout years to come.
Gifts may be made by mail to Blue Mountain Community Foundation, P O Box 603, WW WA 99362, or online to bluemountainfoundation.org.
Questions can be addressed to Casey Moller, Donor Services at the Foundation, 509 529 4371, or to me Jerry Zahl 509 522 0259 or 509 520 6694, jkazahl@charter.net
Many Thanks, and best wishes for a great reunion. Jerry Z