On behalf of the Lake Rabun Foundation (LRF), thank you to the many Lake Rabun Association (LRA) members who contributed toward the COVID-19 Relief Fund. The LRF donations totaled $26,000 and with a $5,000 match from the North Georgia Community Foundation (NGCF), we were able to donate $31,000 to the Rabun County Family Connection program. Since that time, another $26,000 was donated directly to nineteen local non-profits.
Additionally, the LRA awarded $107,500 in scholarships to forty Rabun County Scholars. Of that amount over $33,000 in scholarships went to our ever growing “named scholarship students”. This program, which allows LRA members to fund a scholarship in their own or a loved one’s memory, is funded at over $550,000 and supports sixteen individual scholarships. Over the last five years there has been exponential growth in this fund.
With the increased funding requests from local non-profits we are thankful for the assistance from the NGCF. The NGCF records and acknowledges all contributions received, oversees the foundation’s grants, and maintains relationships with scholarship recipients.
The LRF, however, is wary of what is to come. As the virus shows its resilience and long-term unemployment benefits remain uncertain, the needs in the community will continue to accelerate. Fortunately, the LRF is well funded and we are ready to provide critical funding to those in need as 2021 draws near.
Since the LRF is in large part funded via contributions from LRA fundraisers (e.g. the Rabun Ramble, Golf Tournament, and Home Tour/Auction), there will be a significant short fall in contributions to the fund this year. Our annual requests to LRA members in December takes on even more significance in 2020 and we are hopeful that our lake community will continue to support those in Rabun County less fortunate than ourselves.
As always, we thank you for your membership and donations…please stay safe and healthy and enjoy the rest of the summer.
