It started as scribbles on the back of a napkin.
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Nearly five years later, members of the Corvallis High School Class of 1958 presented a check for $82,000 to the Corvallis Public Schools Foundation for a Legacy Fund that will benefit school programs and scholarships into the future.
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It was worth the five-year wait, Class of 1958 members said after an assembly at Corvallis High School that kicked off their recent 65th reunion.
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“This was wonderful,” said Dave Klick, a member of the Class of 1958 who helped plan the reunion. “I was in tears.”
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Of course, the wait wasn’t part of the original plan: The idea was hatched in September 2018 during the class’ 60th reunion.
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After that reunion, class members gathered for breakfast on Sunday, said James Woodcock, the president of the Class of 1958. “We came up with the usual ideas to do something for the school — you know, put a bench in or something like that,” and a napkin came in handy to jot down the ideas.
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Eventually, Woodcock told current Corvallis High School students, teachers, and staff members at the assembly, one idea on the napkin stood out: “We should focus on providing something to help students with their educational advancement. And out of that grew the Corvallis High School Class of 1958 Legacy Fund.”
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The plan back in 2018 was to unveil the fund at another reunion in 2020. The global pandemic scotched that. Planned reunions in 2021 and 2022 also were canceled.
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But the pandemic didn’t put a stop to raising money for the fund. By May 2021, the Class of 1958 had crossed the $20,000 threshold required for an endowed fund with the Foundation. By August 2021, the fund had raised more than $43,000. And less than two years after that, the number on the outsized check presented at the assembly had hit $82,000.
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Gifts from the fund will be split three ways: Two scholarships — one for a student pursuing a career and technical education and another for a student pursuing a traditional bachelor’s degree — will be awarded each year.
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And the fund will also provide money each year to benefit the Life Skills program at Corvallis High School. That news set off a big round of applause and cheers at the assembly, prompting Woodcock to remark: “You just made my day. Thank you.”
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Woodcock said after the assembly that additional gifts from Class of 1958 family members and friends could help the fund to grow even more.
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Added Klick: “We need the next generation to really grab hold of this vision.”
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Other classes from Corvallis could follow the Class of 1958’s lead and create their own Legacy Funds with the Foundation. To learn more about donating to the Corvallis Public Schools Foundation, call 541-757-5857 or click here