Periodically, we like to share news and updates about the Funds that we manage. We’re proud to work with these charitable funds that are making a difference in our community. To learn more about all of our Funds in greater detail, please visit our the Charitable Funds page
Community Needs Grant Supports WVIA News Expansion & Sustainability
Photo (l-r): Frank Caputo, Scranton Area Community Foundation Grants & Scholarships Manager; Julie Sidoni, WVIA’s Director of Journalism; Carla McCabe, WVIA’s President & CEO; Laura Ducceschi, Scranton Area Community Foundation President & CEO.
The Scranton Area Community Foundation awarded a $20,000 grant from its Spring 2024 Community Needs grant cycle to WVIA.
This grant supports WVIA’s efforts to expand and sustain their in-depth journalism dedicated to covering Scranton. This grant comes at a time when local news sources face major challenges. According to WVIA, “The changing city’s demographics require a voice and a reporting organization to help them understand issues such as housing, healthcare, and business growth across the entire municipality.”
About the Community Needs Fund
The Community Needs Fund at the Scranton Area Community Foundation is used to fund grants that are awarded to regional nonprofit organizations throughout the year. Donations to this fund helps the Foundation respond to the continued timely and critical needs of our community throughout the years.
Cody Barrasse Memorial Foundation to Hold Annual Fundraiser
Photo credit: Todd Hiller Photography
On Saturday, August 10, 2023, The Cody Barrasse Foundation will host the 12th Annual Cody Barrasse Memorial Basketball Tournament. This annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament is held in honor of Cody’s competitive, fiery spirit, with proceeds put towards the Foundation’s mission to financially assist organ transplant patients in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Additionally, the event funds a full scholarship for a student to attend Scranton Prep.
The 12th Annual Cody Barrasse Memorial Basketball Tournament will be held at Scranton Prep’s Xavier Center on Wyoming Avenue. Play will begin at 8:00 AM. Cody’s family has hosted the tournament since his death in 2013, and they have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Event details, tickets, sponsorship opportunities are available at: https://codybarrassefoundation.com/
About the Cody Barrasse Fund
Created in 2013, the Cody Barrasse Memorial Foundation honors the life of Cody Barrasse and his legacy by working to promote organ donor awareness and provide services to those awaiting transplantation. To date, the Fund has helped over 50 families going through transplantation, including hotel stays, travel expenses, specialized meal plans, oral health procedures needed due to complications with transplantation medicine, childcare expenses, and copays and prescription drugs. The Cody Barrasse Academic Scholarship has been awarded to six recipients and will award the seventh scholarship in 2024.
Atty. Harry P. McGrath Memorial Golf Tournament
The 5th Annual Atty. Harry P. McGrath Memorial Golf Tournament & Dinner Celebration is scheduled for Friday, September 20th, 2024 at the Glen Oak Country Club in Clarks Summit.
Schedule of Events
Registration begins at 10:00 AM
Lunch – 11:30 AM
Shotgun Start – 1:00 PM
Cocktail Hour – 6:00 PM
Dinner & Program – 7:30 PM
Dinner & Entertainment Tickets are $100.00 per person.
Golfer Registration is $200.00 per participant.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available starting at $50.00.
Harry McGrath was a proud member of the Greater Scranton YMCA. He specialized in education law, advocating for the rights of all students, particularly those with special needs. It became his passion to improve the quality of education for children in NEPA. In the hopes of carrying on his legacy, Harry’s family established the Harry P. McGrath Esq. Memorial Fund with the Scranton Area Community Foundation in 2022. Funds raised from the event will be used to benefit the Y’s Summer Learning Loss Prevention Program and other community minded organizations that align with Harry’s values.
2024 James F. Swift Scholarship Recipients Announced
Twenty students from thirteen different high schools in the area have each been awarded a prestigious scholarship through the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation. This competitive scholarship provides $5,000 per year for each recipient for up to four years to assist with continuing education expenses.
First-time recipients of a James F. Swift Scholarship include: Noah Beckish (North Pocono), Caden Brennan (Carbondale), Jocelyn Brown (Carbondale), Holly Burke (Scranton Preparatory), Carolyn Chakiris (Mid Valley), Elizabeth Cummings (Old Forge), Celia Emiliani (West Scranton), Kate Evans (West Scranton), Nikauri Fernandez (Holy Cross), Emma Field (Scranton), Sarah Goetter (Mid Valley), Geanna Kirchner (Dunmore), Savannah Lockwood (Dunmore), Antonia Piraino (Lakeland), Allyson Stafursky (Valley View), Makenna Stugus (Abington Heights), Alexa Williams (Riverside), Sarah Wolfe (Riverside), Meghan Wong (Scranton), and Angela Zeng (Abington Heights).
In addition to the 20 new recipients, there were 57 James F. Swift Scholarship renewals in 2024. Recipients of a James F. Swift Scholarship Renewal in 2024 include: Ava Aulisio, Emma Aversa, Jacquelyn Bitter, Alexander Bond, Jillian Brennan, Cameron Butka, Joel Cali, Sofia Capozzi, Kaeden Carr, Riley Clarke, Ryan Coleman, Alyssa Cosklo, Ava Decker, Jayden Evans, Erileidi Fernandez, Sofia Flores-Weidner, Hunter Geise, Sadid Hassan, Courtney Hazelton, Matthew Howard, Emma Illian, Elina Joshi, Michael Kazmierczak, Eliana King, Kendal Johnson, Lorna Lynch, Dana Mackin, Hailey Matechak, Sara McCormack, Finley McHale, David McKenney, Thomas Milewski, Connor Monahan, Ayman Mounota, Owen Morgan, Julia Murphy, Mia Muskey, Paige Pezanowski, Ron Prislupski, Meredith Purcell, Mila Racibor, Ritu Regmi, Taralyn Reilly, Lexee Risner, Michael Rodyushkin, Kayla Rose, Chloee Rumford, Ryan Salony, Michael Sewack, Gabrielle Snee, Christian Snee, Ethan Symuleski, Alexis Tanana, Benjamin Thompson, Martin Turi, Jayde Waibel, and Molly White.
The James F. Swift Scholarship Fund has awarded over $5 million since 2008, benefiting over 340 local students.
1st row (left to right): Barbara O’Hara, Scranton Area Community Foundation Board Governor; Allyson Stafursky; Joel Cali; Makenna Stugus; Angela Zeng; Meghan Wong; Matthew Howard; Holly Burke, Frank Caputo, Grants and Scholarships Manager, Scranton Area Community Foundation. 2nd row (left to right): Ava Decker; Antonia Piraino; Caden Brennan; Ryan Coleman; Lorna Lynch; Jayde Waibel; Sarah Wolfe. 3rd row (left to right): Cathy Fitzpatrick, Director of Grants and Scholarships, Scranton Area Community Foundation; Geanna Kirchner; Hunter Geise; Ethan Symuleski; David McKenney; Jayden Evans. 2024 James F. Swift Scholarship recipients missing from photo: Noah Beckish, Jocelyn Brown, Carolyn Chakiris, Elizabeth Cummings, Celia Emiliani, Kate Evans, Nikauri Fernandez, Emma Field, Sarah Goetter, Savannah Lockwood, Alexa Williams.
The James F. Swift Scholarship Fund has awarded over $5 million since 2008, benefiting over 340 local students. Created in 2002 through a gift by Mr. James F. Swift to the Scranton Area Community Foundation, the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund supports higher education for students graduating from high schools in Lackawanna County. Following Mr. Swift’s death in 2006, the Scranton Area Community Foundation gratefully received a significant gift from his estate to the scholarship fund, allowing many students from Lackawanna County to pursue their academic and professional goals through higher education.
Scranton Area Community Foundation President and CEO Laura Ducceschi praised Mr. Swift’s generosity, noting that “he has left a permanent and enduring legacy for our region’s youth. His scholarship fund makes higher education more attainable for generations of students.”
NEPA Invitational Fundraiser
Harmony for Hope – An Evening of Dueling Pianos: A Benefit Fundraiser for the Janet Weis Children’s Hospital
The fourth annual NEPA Invitational hosted by PGA Tour player Brandon Matthews, will be held at the Country Club of Scranton on September 7th & 8th, 2024.
To kickoff the event, a benefit dinner event is planned for Friday, September 6, 2024 at the Scranton Cultural Center. The NEPA Invitational’s exclusive
‘Harmony for Hope: Dueling Pianos Event for Children’ will support the Scranton Area Community Foundation and Janet Weis Children’s Hospital.
Friday, 6th, 2024
Private Cocktail Hour: 4:30 PM (Platinum Sponsors)
Doors Open: 5 PM | Dinner & Entertainment: 6 PM’
Scranton Area Cultural Center
420 N. Washington Ave, Scranton, PA 18503
Tickets: $150.00
This fundraising event will feature:
- Live Dueling Pianos Performance: Enjoy a captivating and interactive musical experience.
- Special Guests: Meet PGA Tour player Brandon Matthews and other Professional Golfers
- Open Bar, Silent and Live auctions
About the NEPA Invitational Fund
To date, the NEPA Invitational Fund at the Scranton Area Community Foundation has provided over $365,000 to support a variety of charities including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA, Meals on Wheels of NEPA, Inc., Outreach, and United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties, in addition to Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital. Additionally, the NEPA Invitational and Matthews have worked closely with the Scranton Area Community Foundation to establish the William Lawler Scholarship, awarded to a NEPA area junior golf who is going on to play collegiate golf.
Lackawanna County Re-Entry Task Force Presents: 2nd Chance Festival
The 2nd Chance Festival, scheduled for Friday, September 13th is a free event to attend that supports the work of the Lackawanna County Re-entry Task Force.
About the Lackawanna County Re-entry Task Force Fund
The Lackawanna County Re-entry Task Force Fund was established in March 2024 to support Lackawanna County residents being released from Lackawanna County prison, particularly with support for housing.