Stories: Fundholder Stories

Betty Axline, an Ellet native, spent nearly 40 years working as a secretary for some of the nation's most notable companies: Goodyear Aircraft, General Tire and Chemstrand/Monsanto.  She was a woman of modest means, yet every year she donated her last...

"When I was a child, philanthropy looked like a dress-up party," said Ann Durr, daughter of the late businesswoman and philanthropist Kathryn Hunter. "I remember going with my mom to Birnbaum's. They had this room with a giant chandelier and a pedestal, and...

David and Cheryl Venarge are Akron success stories, but their success didn't come easy. Now, through the David R. and Cheryl L. Venarge Fund, they're keeping a family tradition of giving alive with both their children and grandchildren. Each was raised by...

For art enthusiast Ron Allan, Akron is a fantastic place to live. It was this community where he cultivated his love for the arts and began immersing himself in organizations that promote both art and music. "Akron is so culturally rich," he said. "It is a...

Lou Albertson was just a child when she started giving back to her community. Each Sunday during Lent, she would put her pennies, nickels and dimes into the collection plate at church. As she grew older, those coins turned into dollars and she continued to...

For David and Cheryl Venarge, there is no place quite like Akron. Both were born and raised here by hard-working families that struggled to make ends meet.  Today, as successful business owners and volunteers, they are passionate about giving back to the...

In July 2005, while people were prepping their barbeques for Independence Day, Larry Soper, enslaved by drugs, was planning his suicide.   "I Googled the least painful ways," he said. "There were chat rooms even. It was a very dark place." For years, the...

Losing a child is every parent's worst fear.  For Steve Comunale, it became a reality in February 2006 when his 27-year-old son, Stephen A. Comunale Jr., died after a year-long battle with cancer. Although grief-stricken, Steve was determined to...

For Marilyn Meyers Buckey, success is the product of smart succession, both in business and philanthropy.  Through her family's funds at Akron Community Foundation, Marilyn and her daughters have assumed their forefathers' tradition of working hard,...

Steve Shechter, son of a grocer and third-generation Akronite, never considered himself a philanthropist.  That all changed in 2013 when he sold his business and established a fund at Akron Community Foundation. Now, Steve and his family can give to the...