Canton Community Foundation Current Funds

This scholarship was created in memory of Barbara Ann Romano, a devoted mother and grandmother known by all for her generous spirit.  Barbara greatly valued education and had a keen interest in writing, particularily journaling her battle with bipolar disorder in hopes of one day sharing her story with the world.  

This scholarship is open to graduating seniors from Canton High School with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75.  Student applicants will be asked to write a short essay to a prompt inspired by Barbara's life dream.  Applicants must have been accepted at or applied to any college, university, or trade school (either full or part time) for the upcoming fall semester.

The Church and Rodenberg families created this scholarship fund in memory of former Plymouth-Canton Community Schools educator and principal, Barbara Church Rodenberg. The scholarship is open to high school seniors graduating from Plymouth-Canton Community Schools with a GPA of 3.0 or higher and planning to attend any college or university with a STEM or Education major.

Music and the arts are critical were critical to Bill Pawelak: as a creative outlet, for educational benefits, and a place to form his closest friendships.  Following Bill's passing, this group of life-long friends created this memorial fund to assist students in the PCEP Marching Band so that finances don’t get in the way of somebody missing out on this wonderful, life-changing experience.

To honor Bonnie's love of her community, this scholarship is open to a female high school senior graduating from the Plymouth/Canton Community School District or a current college student who is an alumni of PCCS.  The applicant may attend any college or university either full or part time.  Applicants must be majoring in business or a history-related field.  Financial need will be a consideration.

Camp A.B.L.E. is a summer camp designed for disabled children between the ages of 8-14. Camp A.B.L.E. (which stands for Achieve, Believe, Learn, Experience), gives participants the opportunity to take part in a variety of adapted "traditional" summer camp activities throughout the day, including crafts, swimming, songs, games, and trips which encourage campers to interact with peers.  Camp A.B.L.E. helps to enhance social skills; strengthen gross- and fine-motor skills; and builds independence. The Camp A.B.L.E. Fund provides scholarships for families that demonstrate a need. The program also seeks to offset some expenses related to important items like sensory integration tools and accessible transportation that currently exist outside of Camp A.B.L.E.'s current budget.

Each year, the Canton Artist Laureate program advances the arts in Canton by naming one local visual artist as the official Artist Laureate for Canton Township. The fund will be used to support the program, as well as the benefits received by the named Artist Laureate.

This fund was created to help groups in the community, including seniors, veterans, youth, special needs and residents struggling with basic human needs.

This scholarship is open to current students at PCEP, Plymouth/Canton charter schools, any homeschooled student living within the boundaries of the Plymouth/Canton community, or Plymouth/Canton residents currently attending any college or university.  Students must be planning to attend any college or university as a full-time student.  Applicants must have maintained a GPA of 3.5 or higher and be pursuing a degree in History, Anthropology, Museum Studies, Historical Education or other like field.  A short essay describing what inspired you to pursue a history-related field and what you hope to achieve/experience with your future degree is required. 

This fund was created to provide financial assistance to developmentally disabled adults who participate in Canton's Leisure Club.

Canton Police officers created this fund in 2004 in memory of fallen officers Lew Stevens and Brian Darow. The fund provides assistance to public safety familes due to injury or illness of a public safety employee. As the fund has grown and police officers see many needs in the community, the fund has been expanded to address human needs in the community beyond those of public safety employees.

This scholarship is open to all senior high school students currently participating in a recognized Police Explorer program at a police department within Wayne County or planning to major in Criminal Justice.  Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a letter of recommendation from their agency adviser.

The Canton Police K9 Unit created this fund to support the health and welfare of the Canton Police K9 dogs as well as provide the funding to erect a local monument to memorialize the dogs.

This fund is a source of future support for the Canton Public Library. The source of the funds are donations from patrons.

This fund was created by two Canton residents, who are former librarians, to provide funds to purchase printed materials for the Canton Public Library.

The Canton Soccer Club created this scholarship fund to support current and past Canton Soccer Club participants. The scholarship is open to any Michigan resident that has played with the Canton Soccer Club for at least four years. They must have a minimum GPA of 2.75 and a letter of recommendation from a teacher or coach.

With the assistance of long-time Canton residents Laura and Jim Kosteva, the Canton Trail Fund is designed to provide grants to Canton Township for the building and maintaining of public bike and walking trails within the township of Canton. The intention of the fund is to be a supplement to exisitng and proposed future trail improvement, maintenance, expansion and capital construction activities of the Charter Township of Canton.

Canton's Youth Advisory Council (YAC) continues to assert itself as an influential group of students that truly make a difference in their community by particpating in service projects, special events, local decision making, and more. The YAC Fund is used to make grants to area nonprofit organizations that support families and youth. YAC solicits grant requests, evaluates the grants, and selects the grantees.

Frank Schupra, a resident of Waltonwood - Cherry Hill in Canton, Michigan, created a scholarship for employees of this senior-living residence as a way to thank these young people for the service and kindness that they provide the residents of Waltonwood. The scholarship is open to graduating seniors and current college students who are employed by Waltonwood - Cherry Hill.

Chris Bir was an active P-CEP choir member and 2013 graduate of Plymouth High School with long curly red hair.  He studied and performed with The Young Americans before returning to his Michigan friends, Downtown Plymouth and Eastern Michigan University.  He died on December 28, 2016 - four months after being diagnosed with colon cancer.

Chris always noticed and accepted those who felt different in some way to show them he cared.  To inspire others to use their voice as he did - not only to entertain, but to "do your best to try to make the world a better place than when you were born," the Christopher D. Bir Memorial Vocal Lesson Scholarship is awarded to P-CEP choir students to assist with pursuing vocal excellence.  This fund also supports the charitable mission of the Plymouth-Canton Choir Boosters.

Clients First Realtors has created this scholarship for the children, stepchildren or legal dependents of Clients First agents.  Applicant must be either a graduating high school senior or a current college or trade school student with a minimum GPA of 2.0.  Applicant may attend any college, university or trade school either full or past time with any major.

The creators of the Coalition of Dwarf Advocacy Fund (CODA) will make grants to organizations that support children with disabilities related to dwarfism and parents who adopt children with dwarfism.

The charitable purpose of this fund is to increase the amount of dedicated habitat for pollinating insects by planting native wildflowers in public and private spaces.  We hope to engage communities, organizations, and individuals that might not otherwise support native landscaping.  

Long-time Canton resident, Dennis Noricks was a proud skilled tradesman and accomplished woodworker.  He liked working with both his hands and his mind.  Dennis lived his life by the Golden Rule - "In everything do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  Therefore, this scholarship will be awarded annually to a student who shares Dennis' passion for working with their hands and mind, and is working toward certification in a skilled trade through an apprenticeship or school.  Preference will be given to those pursuing a skilled trade in any of the following: bricklayer, carpenter, electrician, pipe fitter, or plumber.  This scholarship must be used at a community college or an accredited nonprofit vocational or trade school. It cannot be used at a for-profit institution.  Applicant must be a resident of Wayne county.   

The Denski daughters were both active as cheerleaders when they attended Plymouth-Canton Schools. During their four years of dedication to the sport, the family was given a full perspective of the commitment of cheerleading in balancing practice and games with maintaining studies to prepare for college. This scholarship is open to all senior cheerleaders graduating from the Plymouth/Canton Community School District who are planning to attend any college or university as a full-time student. Applicants must have a minimum of 40 hours of documented community service. Applicants must also provide a letter of recommendation from their cheerleading coach.

The DTE Foundation established this scholarship to benefit students within their service area.  This scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors, current college students, students attending an accredited technical/trade school, as well as nontraditional students (those returning to school after an extended absence).  Applicant must reside in one of the locations listed within this document.  No minimum GPA is required, however, applicant must be a student in good standing at their school/program and making academic progress.  Applicant must provide evidence of service to others.  Applicant must be planning to major or currently majoring in a STEM-related field or be entering or currently enrolled in a trade school.  Applicants may attend any college/university or accredited trade school.  Preference will be given to students attending or planning to attend an HBCU (Historically Black College/University) or students planning to or currently enrolled in a skilled trades program.  This scholarship is not available to graduate students.  Financial need is not a consideration for this scholarship.  DTE employees are not eligible to apply.  Furthermore, immediate family members of DTE employees who are Director level and above are not eligible to apply.

The creators of this scholarship fund wanted to memorialize Dustin Piepsney. This scholarship is available to all Plymouth-Canton Community School student athletes involved in wrestling, football, or baseball. Applicants may attend any college or university as a full-time student. Applicants must have a letter of recommendation from their coach.

Eagles for Children® is an organization that uses a simple, fun and engaging program at private golf clubs to raise funds to support local children's charities that benefit disadvantaged children.  

The Durack family created this scholarship fund as a way to memorialize Elizabeth. The scholarship is available to all "non-traditional" students who plan to attend any college or university in Michigan. A non-traditional student is generally someone beginning college later in life or returning to college following an extended absence.

Since 1978, First Step has been working for peaceful families and safe communities in Wayne County, Michigan. First Step is the only nonprofit agency in Wayne County providing comprehensive services for victims of domestic and sexual violence.

Several funds have been created by donors that will be funded upon their passing. The donors have already designated which nonprofits to which they are directing grants from their funds. This arrangement allows the donor to designate the time span of the donation to their designated nonprofit rather than granting it to the nonprofit all at once. The fund will continue to grow with investment income during the grant-out years, providing the nonprofit with a steady income and professional management of investment assets.

INVEST FOR IMPACT 

The Canton Chamber and the Local Impact Alliance have teamed up to launch FUTURE FIT. This cutting-edge program prepares students (grades 10-12) to enter the workforce by directly connecting them to employers.

Benefits of Engagement

Employer: Assistance in designing a talent pipeline of current and future employees.

Students “FUTURE FIT Scholars”: Experience-based learning opportunities, career readiness boot camps, leadership development, internships, mentorships and scholarships.

The Giving Hope, Women's Giving Circle Fund was established in 2006 by a group of women who wanted to learn more about the needs of women and children in the community and makes grants to organizations that assist them. The circle has grown over the years and includes women of all ages and backgrounds. The circle meets regularly for members and their guests to learn about needs in the community. Their grants have covered many needs: literacy for children, adults, and ESL learners; shelter and programming for victims of domestic violence; clothing and food needs for school children; libraries, preschool for low-income children, and mental health.

The Grigg family created this scholarship fund in memory of their mother, Eve Grigg and brother, Troy Grigg . This scholarship is available to one or more eligible students who are current or former graduates of Bad Axe High School, have a GPA of at least 3.0 and a minimum of 20 hours of documented community service at the time of graduation.

Growth Works provides substance abuse treatment for adolescents and adults, including new programming and services to address the opioid crisis.

Created by his family in memory of past Canton Township Supervisor Bart Berg, this scholarship is open to any high school senior graduating from Plymouth/Canton Community Schools or current college student who is an alumni of PCCS.  Applicant may attend any college or university either full or part time.  Applicant must be majoring in either business or a mental health-related field.  Financial need will be a consideration.

The Hands of Christ's maxim derives from the Bible's instruction to "share with the Lord's people who are in need" (Romans 12:13).

This fund supports fellow citizens of the Plymouth-Canton community in need of financial support.

In 2000, as a result of a national tobacco settlement, CCF was among 65 community foundations in Michigan to receive an allocation of funds to aid community efforts that support healthy youth and healthy seniors. Past grants include support for conflict resolution and anti-bullying for youth, exercise for seniors, grief counseling, and work skills development for special needs youth.

Heather's mother, Dana Willis, created this scholarship in memory of her daughter. Heather was a graduate of Starkweather Academy and a budding artist. This scholarship is open to all graduating seniors enrolled at the Starkweather Academy who are planning to attend Schoolcraft College as a full- or part-time student with any major, and with an appreciation of art. Students attending a college, university or trade school other than Schoolcraft are eligible; however Schoolcraft College will match funds for this scholarship. Art samples must be provided.

Herb and Olivia Scott were interested in giving back to the community where they raised their children. The Scotts created their fund to provide grants to various local nonprofits that have the greatest needs.

The charitable purpose of the Fund are mental health, youth enrichment and education, military veterans and jobs for veterans, women-focused criminal justice and legal services, baseball for youth, individuals and families, as well as supporting Detroit Zoo.

Margaret and Jack Demmer created this scholarship fund to assist students with college costs. It is open to all graduating seniors or current college students attending any college or university with any major. The scholarship requires that the applicant has maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Patricia Maurer created this scholarship fund in memory of her son, Jason Russell Maurer. These scholarships are available to graduating high school seniors and those who just completed their freshman year of college and who attend Woodside Bible Church - Troy Campus. This scholarship requires that the applicant attend Woodside Bible Church regularly and have documented community service. Scholarships may be awarded to those attending any college, university or trade school.

Gayle and Jerry Grady created this scholarship fund to support students majoring in Accounting at Eastern Michigan University. The Gradys and EMU are matching funds to make this scholarship possible. Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students should apply through Eastern Michigan University's College of Business.

Jim and Linda Demmer and their family are very committed to serving Canton and surrounding communities in many ways. Through the Jim and Linda Demmer Fund, they are able to allocate grant dollars to various nonprofit orgnizations each year. This fund has supported many impactful local organizations over the years, including Open Door Ministry, Startfish Family Services, Kelly's Kidz, Partnership for the Arts and Humanities and more.

This scholarship was created in memory of lifelong Canton and Van Buren Township resident, Kelly Wheatley.  Mr Wheatley farmed and had dairy cows on Geddes Road until 1958, then began working for Wayne-Westland Schools until his retirement in 1980.  Therefore, this scholarship is open to any high school senior graduating from Plymouth/Canton Community Schools or Wayne/Westland Schools or current college student who is an alumni of PCCS or WWCS.  Applicant may attend any college or university either full or part time.  Applicant must be majoring in agriculture, farming or plan to attend a trade school with a focus on welding or maintenance technician.  Financial need will be a consideration.

Lead Like a Girl scholarships are available to girls who are participating in the Lead Like a Girl program run by Canton Township's BLOCK program. Lead Like a Girl is a leadership program for middle and high school girls designed to build confidence, self-esteem and leadership skills in young women.

Leadership Canton is a joint program between the Canton Chamber of Commerce and Canton Township that provides a forum to bring together new leaders in the community. The program provides many benefits to participants, including exposure to key issues affecting the greater Canton community, a deep knowledge of Canton's resources, facilities, programs and services, and the opportunity for participants to reach their full potential professionally, personally and through service to our community. This funds helps to provide scholarships to eligible participants in the program.

This scholarship was created in memory of Linda Hutchinson, a long-time secretary at Model High School in Bloomfield Hills. The scholarship is available to all seniors graduating from Model High School or from the Bloomfield Hills School District that embody competencies shared by both Linda and Model High School. Appliants should apply through the Counseling Office at Model High School.

Livonia firefighters from Local 1164 created this scholarship for any Livonia resident who is a graduating high school senior from any high school. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.5, two letters of recommendation (one teacher/counselor and one personal reference).  A 500-word essay describing how they have made difference in their school or community is also required. Students may attend any college, university or trade school, and choose any course of study.

Loren Wadington is a long-time volunteer in the community serving in every capacity from hands-on to board member. Ms. Wadington uses her fund to support many charities with her particular interest being charities that benefit women and children.

Marie Breach was a long-time employee of the Plymouth Canton Community Schools' Starkweather Academy. Ms. Breach was passionate about helping the students at Starkweather. Upon her passing, her children established the Marie Breach Education Fund to keep her passion working with grants that will assist programming at Starkweather.

The Treadwell family created this scholarship to honor Marjorie and Donald Treadwell and their commitment to Grosse Ile schools, student achievement, and community service. The scholarship is available to Grosse Ile Public School students who are graduating with a minimum 3.5 GPA and have demonstrated extra-curricular and community involvement.

Marvin Schulz's family created this scholarship as a way to memorialize Marv, who was an engineer at Ford Motor Company but had a passion for education and was an active volunteer in the Plymouth-Canton School District. The scholarship is available to all students graduating from the Plymouth-Canton Community School District who plan to attend either the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor or the University of Michigan - Dearborn.

The creators of the Michigan Elite Gymnastics Association (MEGA) fund are interested in making grants to foster amateur athletic competition in gymnastics and promote exercise, health, and recreation among youth.

The portion of your payment that covers your child's apparel, competition fees, or any other service is not tax deductible. You will receive a letter in January following the year of your payment that will indicate the amount deductible.

This scholarship was created in memory of Meredith Whalen, a Canton High School alumni who went on to graduate from the University of Michigan with a business degree. Following graduation, she accepted a position with the investment firm of Fred Alger Management in New York City. On September 11, 2001, Meredith was killed in the World Trade Center attack. This scholarship is available to all female students graduating from the Plymouth-Canton Community School District who plan to attend any college or university majoring in business.

Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America has served Michigan since 1961, making a difference in the lives of veterans, their families, and the public. MPVA provides leadership in reaching out on behalf of veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders, as well as all people with disabilites to provide the highest possible quality of life in Michigan.

This fund provides support to the Michigan Philharmonic Orchestra and the Michigan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. The Michigan Philharmonic performs standard and innovative orchestral works throughout Michigan. The Michigan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra consists of over 90 students from several communities in southeast Michigan giving the students orchestral training and performance opportunities.

Kim and Neil Barlow established this fund to support local and national orgnizations with missions involving arts and culture, community development and improvement, and quality education.

The creators of the Opportunity Fund will use their fund to promote individual economic security and social justice in the southeast Michigan region.

Pam’s Promise is a heartfelt fund dedicated to the memory of Pamela Johnson, a beloved mother, and advocate for children.  One of the fund's primary goals is to support infants, children, and youth by addressing critical needs in the areas of education, health, housing, and food insecurity.

Through innovative programs and partnerships, we strive to empower young lives, ensuring they have the resources and opportunities to thrive and succeed.  At Pam's Promise, we are committed to honoring Pam's legacy by making a positive and lasting impact on the lives of the next generation.

For more than four decades Pat Wilcox taught and served the students of Utica Community Schools.  Her family has chosen to honor Pat's committment to quality education through this memorial fund which will provide grants to assist teachers of Utica Community Schools in providing quality programs in their classrooms.

This fund provides support to the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools high school choirs. The choir program consists of 18 curricular and extra-curricular choirs comprised of over 300 students. Every student is welcome in the choir program and will be held to a high standard of performance, sight-singing, leadership, and teamwork.

This fund was created to provide additional resources to benefit the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Orchestra programs.

Plymouth Christian Academy, a ministry of Calvary Baptist Church, is a non-denominational, college preparatory Christian school located on a beautiful 45-acre campus in Canton, Michigan. Since 1976, the preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and secondary programs have been designed to accomplish the academy's mission of educating and equipping young people for lives of learning, leadership, and service.

When a group of military veterans wanted to create a memorial park in the heart of Plymouth, they came to the Canton Community Foundation to act as a fiscal sponsor for the project and create a fund to manage the property and market the memorial brick program. Now, 25 years later, this beautiful park on the corner of Main Street and Church Street is home to more than 1000 bricks purchased by families to memorialize their loved ones’ service to our country.  

The Plymouth-Canton Sisterhood Fund is designed to provide funding and assistance to women of all ages in the Plymouth-Canton community with the personal care products.

The Price fund honors one of the founding members of the Troy Rotary Club, Bill Price. The late Mr. Price was a long-time citizen of Troy, going back to nearly the beginning of the existence of the city. Mr. Price was the founder and owner of the Price Funeral Home, now Price Chapel of A. J. Desmond & Sons. The Price Fund has been organized to honor the memory of Bill Price by accumulating an endowment to assist needy people in and around Troy, Michigan.

The Bhama family created this scholarship fund to memorialize their beloved husband and father.  Dr. Bhama greatly valued education, and he believed that not having money should never prevent someone from pursuing an education.  This scholarship is available to graduating high school seniors, those currently in college, as well as those planning to start or return to college after an absence.  Students can be attending any college or university.

Bryan and Kelli Regner established this fund as a way to give back to their community. Their charitable interests are varied, but they are particularly interested in supporting orgnaizations that lead to a better quality of life for our youth.

The Road to Restoration fund was created to assist Michigan residents who have completed a Road to Restoration free clinic and who qualify for financial assistance in order to restore their driving privileges.  The Road to Restoration (R2R) program is a dynamic, public-private partnership launched in 2022 by the Michigan Department of State (MDOS) and the Michigan Department of Attorney General. It was built together with founding members Detroit Justice Center, DTE Energy and Miller Canfield, in collaboration with the Michigan Association of United Ways, and 2-1-1 Michigan.

This fund was created to memorialize Robert Loyd, a long-time educator in the Allen Park School District.  These scholarships are open to graduating seniors from the Allen Park Public School system with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75.  The candidate may attendany college or university as a full-time student and be pursuing any major.

Serve the City is a global movement of volunteers showing kindness in practical ways to people in need. We partner with non-profits throughout Detroit offering help and support. Serve the City creates events that mobilize many volunteers to serve in simple ways – sports, music, arts and crafts, meals, friendship and more. We are the connection between the good intentions and talents of people who could volunteer and a meaningful opportunity to get involved.

And that’s where it starts. We cross the line from where we are and serve. But that’s just the beginning. The dream of Serve the City is everyone serving. As soon as possible we invite those we have met while serving to join us, because what we really want is to cross the line together.

Serve the City is for everyone. It’s a revolution, a serving revolution. And it’s going to change the world.

We know them by their needs. What if we knew them by name? Cross the line. Serve the City.

For more information, click here to visit the Serve the City - Detroit website.

This fund was created in memory of Kameshwar Nath Singh - loving father, perfect husband and loyal friend who cared deeply for his family and children. He lived life to the fullest and kept family together. He was a father figure to many, a pillar of strength. His life was an inspiration. He welcomed everyone with a smile, his presence was always a comforting thought. He worked hard to pave the road for others to succeed. He believed in providing everyone an opportunity to excel. This fund is started to continue his legacy of helping others. He believed young girls and women have an equal right to education and career and as a society, we should work together to provide all necessary means for them to achieve this goal.

The creators of Team Revolution Fund are interested in making grants to foster amateur athletic competition in martial arts and promote health and fitness among youth.

The Hammond family is committed to preserving our environment. They created their fund to advance environmental education.

Valerie Elliott created the Howard A. and Clayton E. Charitable Fund in memory of her family members. Ms. Elliott has a variety of interests, both locally and nationally.

Members of the Eastern Michigan Camaro Club formed their club with an interest in Camaros. The members also realized that they have similar interests in philanthropy. They created their fund to support local charities. Their recent interests have surrounded veterans' organizations with grants to The Fallen and Wounded Soldier Fund and Stiggy's Dogs.

The creator of The Last Hope fund saw a need to assist families and individuals that are in dire economic circumstances that have accepted a most basic existence and have lost hope. The fund makes grants to organizations that support people in these circumstances.

The Lauria-Sneideman family created their fund to provide financial assistance to local children attending summer day camp. Families must fill out an application to apply for the assistance. A limited number of children will be chosen based on financial need.

The Rozum Family Fund was created to provide grants to charitable organizations and activites that provide a camp or similar activity for children ages 3-16 that have a life-threatening illness or physical disability. The goal of the Rozums is to provide access for children with special needs to be with others that have similar challenges and have fun in a safe environment.

The Ahmed Family created this fund in memory of their beloved husband/father/grandfather to support the types of projects he valued: helping those who are vulnerable, and building a strong and healthy community. He left India with his wife in 1965, spent time in England and Canada, and eventually settled here in Canton in 1979. He raised 3 kids in Canton who all benefitted greatly from the schools, and started a small chemical company supplying paints to local auto shops. He coached for the Canton Soccer Club, and was one of the original members of the Canton mosque (MCWS), which he attended daily. After retiring, he always made an effort to visit other seniors, encouraging them to stay active and involved with the local community. His friends and family affectionately called him "Baba". He was a regular visitor to Canton Summit, where he swam and socialized with others. After his passing in 2018, the Ahmed family established the Mohamed "Baba" Ahmed Fund to contiue his passion of helping those who need a hand, and to encourage people to be active and engaged in the community. The first grant from this fund was used to create a beautiful garden patio area outside Club 55 at the Canton Summit. Subsequent grants have been made to support swim lessons for at-risk children, holiday gift bags for homebound seniors, stock local food pantries and much more. The Ahmed family welcomes proposals and suggestions to provide grants for any other projects in and around Canton that meets the broad vision of Baba: Help those in need, and build stonger, healthier community! We look forward to hearing from you!

You can email suggestions at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The children of Sharon and Leo Eccles created this fund in memory of their parents. The family will use the fund to support local charitable causes with an interest in assisting victims of domestic violence.

Elmer Thomann and Beatrice Trebesch came of age in Detroit during the Great Depression.  Elmer left high school early to help take care of his mom and younger siblings; and Bea graduated and went on to work as a seamstress.  When they married and began to raise their family, they knew that the education they were unable to pursue would open doors for their children.  Bea and Elmer encouraged their three kids, Frederick, David and Gloria, to excel academically and athletically as they moved through their school years.

Their oldest, Fred, was a exceptional basketball player who spend his 40-year career coaching and teaching physical education.  He led a team to the state championship, became Wayne County Teacher of the Year, and was one of the winningest coaches in Michigan.  He received numerous awards for his coaching success, including being inducted into the Michigan High School Coaches Hall of Fame.

Their middle son took a winding path to the classroom, majoring in special education, but finding his true joy in teaching middle school and coaching football.  Dave's career was cut short with his death at 48, but many years later his former students and student athletes would share the lasting impact he made on them during their formative years.

Not to be left out, their youngest, Gloria, became a teacher too.  Gloria was a special education teacher who also supported student leadership and spearheaded systemic change in the buildings in which she taught.  She loved team teaching with her peers and was able to reach some of the most resistant learners.  Her retirement came earlier than she hoped, and she longed for more time with kids and volunteered and supported young learners even after her days in the classroom were through.

Combined, Bea and Elmer's children had nearly 100 years in the classroom, encouraging many, many students and athletes to do their best and make learning a priority that would change their lives.  The Thomann family legacy continues beyond that as Dave's daughter and Elmer and Bea's only grandchild found her way into the classroom too.

Tanya Thomann has coached and taught for nearly 30 years, and found her way back to Bea and Elmer's hometown of Detroit and currently serves as a teacher of severely and multiply impaired middle school students.  Tanya is also the equity lead for her building.

The Thomanns hope to continue to inspire and encourage youth to become teachers through the Thomann Family Memorial Scholarship.

This scholarship is available to all senior student athletes graduating from a school located in Wayne or Oakland County. Applicants must be majoring in Education at any college or university.  Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. A letter of recommendation is required from both a coach and a teacher (the two may not be the same person).  And a specific essay question must be answered about what inspired you to become an educator.

The members of Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 528, created this fund as a charitable arm of their organization. They are interested in supporting a variety of charitable causes in the community.

WSDP, 88.1 the Park, is the student-operated radio station owned by the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools in Canton, Michigan. It is operated out of Salem High School; and has been in operation since February 14, 1972. WSDP is the only high school radio station to receive a nomination for the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Radio Award. This fund supports general operations of the radio station. Learn more about WSDP at 881thepark.com.

The primary purpose of the Yazaki North America Fund is to benefit the citizens of Canton Township for various charitable, scientific and educational purposes. Grants are awarded to local 501(c)3 organizations to support the needs of the community.  While the fund supports many iniatives, its focus is STEAM activities and issues related to diversity and inclusion.