(Ellwood City, PA) The Butler County Community College Education Foundation, which assists “students from all walks of life,” according to its executive director, raised $108,000 on Aug. 4 during a golf outing supported by 41 sponsors and a record 128 players.
Golfers on 32 teams competed in the 28th outing that benefits the BC3 Education Foundation, which helps students such as those facing food insecurity, seeking a commonwealth secondary school diploma or recovering from opioid addiction.
The BC3 Education Foundation also helps to finance scholarships for BC3 students, training for first responders, programs for pupils in grades 4 to 12 and other initiatives, said Megan Coval, executive director of the foundation and external relations.
Rob Rentz, Cody Slater, Jake Grumski and Nelson Johnson, representing the Alliance for Nonprofit Resources, Butler, shot a 15-under 55 in the scramble-format outing at Olde Stonewall Golf Club and won the BC3 Education Foundation Champions Cup by 2 strokes.
“People just love BC3”
Proceeds in 2023 brought to more than $1.4 million the amount raised from the outing since 1996.
“People just love BC3, and they support us in so many ways,” said Dr. Nick Neupauer, BC3’s president. “And this is certainly an example, not only in the amount of money that we have raised, but in the number of years that we have been doing this outing.”
Jonathan Hudson, Zach Lenhart, Wayne Thompson and Keith Lorenz, representing UPMC Horizon Community Health Foundation, Farrell, finished second with a 13-under 57; and Daryl Patten, Gene Rodgers, Bill Weeks Jr. and Bill Weeks, Fort Pitt Capital, Pittsburgh, third with a 12-under 58.
“There are so many ways in which the foundation helps our students,” Coval said. “We assist students from all walks of life, from traditional students to those who are in recovery to those who are coming into college a little bit later in life.
“Our golfers and sponsors play the very important role of helping us ensure we have adequate funding to support BC3 students in a wide variety of ways that go well beyond scholarships.”
“Our golfers and sponsors play the very important role of helping us ensure we have adequate funding to support BC3 students in a wide variety of ways that go well beyond scholarships.”
Megan Coval, executive director, BC3 Education Foundation and external relations
“Individuals and businesses want to help the college”
Closest-to-the-pin winners were Ryan Welch, Butler Technologies, Butler, on No. 5 at 8 feet, 5 inches; Mark Smirniw, FNB Wealth Management, Butler, on No. 7 at 2 feet; Bryan Waldorf, Magna5, Pittsburgh, on No. 14 at 6 feet, 6 inches; and Tim Barr, AGR, Meridian, on No. 15, distance unavailable.
Courtney Houtz, Butler Technologies, had the longest drive on No. 10 among women and Slater among men.
Patten had the longest putt on No. 18 and Lenhart won the BC3 Education Foundation’s first post-event putting contest.
The BC3 Education Foundation supports the college’s 4-year-old Pioneer Pantry, which helped to serve 838 members of the BC3 community in the 2022-2023 academic year, said Mikayla Moretti, the foundation’s director of special events and a member of the college’s food security team.
It also funded 75 General Education Development subject tests for students pursuing a commonwealth secondary school diploma in 2022-2023, said Barb Gade, grant director of BC3’s adult literacy program.
It also assists the college’s 5-year-old Hope is Dope opioid addiction recovery program, which drew 83 participants in the past year, said Ken Clowes, BC3’s community initiatives center assistant. Related Hope Nights attracted 197 guests in six recent events, Clowes said.
“Individuals and businesses want to help the college,” said Kyle Hilfiger, a branch manager of Farmers National Bank of Canfield, Ohio, which served as the golf outing’s title sponsor for the 13th consecutive year. “One of the best ways to do that is through the education foundation … They know the needs that exist. And the community realizes that.”
$1.4 million
“BC3 is doing a great thing”
The BC3 Education Foundation in 2022-2023 awarded to BC3 students a record $281,000 in named scholarships and funded the tuition for 25 presidential scholars, said Lynn Ismail, the foundation’s assistant director and its financial manager.
“Sponsoring events like this helps to subsidize education,” Lenhart said. “It allows us to keep local talent, helps folks pay for college and keep them in our counties.”
It also funded 337 BC3 public safety training classes for 138 volunteer firefighters from 27 Butler County fire companies in 2022, said Bobbi Jo Cornetti, the foundation’s development coordinator.
“Being able to provide people with necessary resources and a good education,” said Chase Loper, a member of the Amcom/ComDoc team, “is very important.”
"Being able to provide people with necessary resources and a good education is very important.”
Chase Loper, a member of the Amcom/ComDoc team
The foundation also reimbursed tuition for Butler County volunteer firefighters seeking emergency medical services or emergency medical technician certifications in 2022, Cornetti said.
“BC3 is doing a great thing,” said Jennifer Winchester, a member of the FNB Wealth Management team. “They are doing right by being able to have these events to help students. It makes a difference in the community and in the lives of the ones that they are helping.”
7th-place team recognized
The BC3 Education Foundation aids the college’s Stock Market Game, which teaches economic concepts and financial literacy to pupils in grades 4 to 12; and BC3’s college programming, in which high school sophomores through seniors can earn transferrable college credits through reduced-cost courses.
The college’s Stock Market Game in 2022-2023 drew 1,274 western Pennsylvania students in Grades 4 through 12 from 26 schools in Armstrong, Butler, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, Lawrence and Mercer counties, said David Huseman, director of BC3’s Center for Economic Education.
BC3’s College Within the High School program provides students with the opportunity to begin their college career early and to explore career possibilities.
The program in spring 2023 was offered at 16 high schools or learning centers in Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Clearfield, Jefferson, Lawrence or Mercer counties and set records in enrollment at 509, in seats occupied at 696 and in credits pursued at 2,034, college officials said.
The BC3 Education Foundation Champions Cup is a 27-inch-high trophy mirroring the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup. Kelly and John Giles, owners of Butler Business Systems, Butler, donated the cup to the foundation in 2019. Kelly Giles is one of 18 members or ex-officio members of the foundation board.
The team that finished in seventh place during the golf outing was also recognized to reflect the nearly $7 million in private funds contributed to the BC3 Education Foundation toward the construction of the state-of-the-art Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building on BC3’s main campus.
Brian Fritz, Mike Franko, Doug Frost and Brian Berry, Independence Health System, Butler, finished seventh.
“BC3 is doing a great thing. They are doing right by being able to have these events to help students. It makes a difference in the community and in the lives of the ones that they are helping.”
Jennifer Winchester, a member of the FNB Wealth Management team
BC3’s president’s scholars program includes a full-tuition waiver for up to 18 credits each semester. It is available to students in the Top 10 percent of their graduating class and who have achieved at least a 3.5 grade-point average at any of Butler County’s public high schools. Students must also be residents of Butler County.
A cyber school student counted in those public schools’ graduating classes is also eligible. Students must also enroll at BC3 in the first semester following their high school graduation to be eligible for the program, and are required to take scholars-only courses and maintain at least a 3.5 grade-point average at BC3.
The Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building opens this month.