Stories

Dancing program jumpstarts love for learning

It's time for recess, and physical education teacher Mary Breiding watches as her students play on the playground at McEbright Community Learning Center. Soon, she realizes they're not just playing – they're dancing. The kids are practicing the dance moves...

Grant brings hope for a promising future to homeless babies, children

Each year, nearly 2.5 million children in the United States experience homelessness, making children the majority of the homeless population. Here in Summit County, dozens of families face this same plight, including more than 100 children and babies....

Goodyear assistant makes largest gift in Millennium Fund's history

It was the 1999 Thanksgiving issue of the Akron Beacon Journal that first drew Jane Palmer's attention to the Millennium Fund for Children. Editors at the newspaper had taken advantage of the holiday weekend to announce the establishment of their new...

Couple encourages gifts of generosity

It's no surprise how important the holidays are to Mary Ann Jackson: She grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a town nicknamed "Christmas City, USA." For her, the season evokes memories of nativity pageants, caroling, and traveling house to house exchanging...

Doctor's passion lives on through bequest

When Pam Moran met Dr. Kenneth Swanson, her world was upside down. Despite surgery, 70% of a tumor remained on her six-month-old son Derek's brain, requiring two and a half years of chemotherapy and MRIs from Dr. Swanson every six months. "I was mad at the...

Family's good fortune in business turns into holiday surprise

When Pam Perrin Kostoff recalls the history of Perrin Asphalt Company, she always comes back to a transformative moment in the 1980s. "It was the '80s," she said. "St. Eugene's Church needed its parking lot done; it was just seal coating and striping." But,...

A story of legacy: the Pearl Leeper Korman and Sandy Korman Auburn Fund

Pearl Leeper Korman grew up in Akron during the Great Depression, leaving college to work outside of the home, which was uncommon for women during this time. She worked full-time, even with a chronic medical condition, and went on to make a number of...

Accountant helps asphalt heirs give gift and give back

When a family business is considering a significant financial move, their accountant is often the first to know. That was the case for Pam Perrin Kostoff, daughter of Perrin Asphalt Company owners Charles and Patricia Perrin. After a record year of profits,...

Millennium Fund teaches lifelong lessons in giving

Taylor Wessels served as a youth representative on the Millennium Fund from 1999 to 2005. Now married and living in Cincinnati, Taylor reflects on the lessons he learned about philanthropy as a teen: Ever since I was old enough to get an allowance, my...

Night at the Museum program spotlights budding artists

As an internationally acclaimed museum, the Akron Art Museum is famous for its massive collection of art created by virtuosos like Norman Rockwell and Cindy Sherman. But six times a year, the museum showcases special pieces of art created by a different kind...

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