PENDLETON — During the past three decades, South Madison Community Foundation has helped steer millions of dollars to causes in Adams, Fall Creek, Green and Stony Creek townships.
It has awarded grants and scholarships, supported civic projects and activities, and played a part in responding to needs, from tornado recovery in the Pendleton area to band boosting in Lapel.
And its existing pool of charitable funds has grown to more than $10 million to keep the giving going into the future.
Now the organization wants to recognize all it has been able to accomplish with the help of donors and its citizen board.
“We’re going to have a big celebration … to celebrate our 30 years,” said foundation project specialist Sue Patton, describing a week of activities that will be capped off with an outdoor open house.
“We’re going to have a total of 30 different things: 10 places to go visit throughout south Madison County, and 10 activities, and then 10 puzzles.”
To get started, people can stop by the foundation building, 233 S. Main St., to pick up a tote. Inside, in addition to foundation swag and other items, there will be a booklet outlining a treasure hunt, activities and puzzles.
The booklet will also be posted online.
By noon Sunday, Oct. 17, wooden coins will be available at each of the 10 treasure hunt locations. People can pick them up, write their names and phone numbers on them, and return the them to the foundation. Coins will serve as tickets in a drawing.
“Hopefully, that will just get people out at their leisure, during the week that we’re doing this, where they can just go out and learn more about the South Madison community, since it is actually Pendleton, Lapel, Ingalls and Markleville,” Patton said. “It’ll be from one end of the county to the other, as far as where to go and what to do.”
The 10 activities include things such exchanging a book at a Little Free Library, of which there are several in the area; the 10 puzzles include things such as a word search, where the word list is comprised of foundation fund types.
All participants are invited to attend a public gathering planned for 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24, in the garden at the foundation building. The drawing will occur during this time.
“Of course, we hope to celebrate the Foundation and its work with the donors and organizations who are already familiar with what we do,” foundation Executive Director Tammy Bowman wrote in an email to The Times-Post about the activities. “But we also want to introduce the Foundation to all those who are new to South Madison County or just unaware of what the Community Foundation is or what we do.
“We’re going to do this by highlighting South Madison Treasures — the everyday locations and activities of our small towns and rural areas that we might sometimes overlook,” Bowman said. “Taking time to look at them and reflect on what they mean to us will
help each participant
determine what it is that he or she treasures about life in South Madison County.”
For more details, visit southmadisonfoundation.org or call 765-778-8444.