31 Jan Debate Enhancement and Scholarship Funds Established
Edwin R. Stucky, circ. Feb. 1980
The McPherson County Community Foundation is pleased to announce an anonymous gift to establish two funds in honor of Edwin R. Stucky’s work in debate and forensics. One fund will serve to enhance programs at area high schools, while the other will provide scholarships for graduating seniors who participated in debate and are pursuing a post-secondary degree or certificate.
Edwin R. Stucky was a longtime debate teacher and coach at Moundridge High School. He coached small town debate teams to compete on a state level with much larger schools, earning Moundridge High School several trophies and a reputation statewide for having competitive and winning debate teams.
His legacy continues through the many Moundridge students he mentored to speak, reason and lead with confidence. Those students have become lawyers, world business leaders and community leaders of today. But Mr. Stucky’s legacy didn’t stop there, he brought up his own son, Mark Stucky to have a love and passion for mentoring through debate. When Ed retired Mark led the Moundridge debate team until his retirement.
Those who have benefited from his mentoring want to honor Mr. Stucky’s debate program and work to continue his legacy in a time when our youth and our communities need it the most. A former Moundridge resident and establishing donor for the fund, had the good fortune to be a student of Mr. Stucky and believes the skills and experiences acquired in Debate and Forensics are valuable for youth later in their careers. The enhancement fund is designed to strengthen local programs to give current students the same opportunity for participation provided to former students. The scholarship fund will provide financial support to participating students planning to further their education after high school.
The donor has offered to match dollar for dollar up to $50,000 for all gifts received between December 1 and March 31 to support the enhancement fund. Because the defined purpose of the Edwin R. Stucky Debate and Forensics Fund is to promote debate and forensics education in the public school setting, monies will not replace a district’s debate and forensics budget. Instead, they will enhance the current program in the following ways:
- Help fund middle school exposure to debate and forensics.
- Enable travel to more prestigious/competitive tournaments in Kansas.
- Help fund any students who might qualify for national tournaments.
The donor is also contributing $50,000 for the establishment of the scholarship fund. The purpose is to grant scholarships to those students who can demonstrate how debate and forensics impacted their lives. Students who participated in debate and forensics for a minimum of two years will be eligible to a total of $2500 in scholarships. Donations to this fund will help build the principal of the endowment, eventually allowing for more than one scholarship recipient per year.
Money added to both funds will be invested, and a portion of the annual earnings will be used to fund enhancement programs and scholarships. Gifts to support either fund are considered tax deductible.
The Stucky Debate Enhancement Fund is also eligible to receive matching dollars as part of the McPherson County Community Foundation Match Day event to be held March 6. The Foundation matches all gifts to endowment proportionally to was is raised throughout a one day giving blitz. Information on the event will be available on February 8.
Donations should be sent to the McPherson County Community Foundation, 206 S. Main, McPherson, KS 67460. Please note Stucky Debate Fund in the memo. Donations may also be contributed online by clicking Edwin R. Stucky Debate Enhancement Fund. Gifts of other assets including stocks, real property or other may also be contributed. To learn more about options, contact the Foundation office at 620.245.9070 or email info@mcphersonfoundation.org.