WIN golf outing raises $14,000 for Young Women Leaders Scholarships – Shaw Local News Network

OSF St. Elizabeth nurse Yvette Baiz (front, right) presents to Women Inspired Network Fundraiser Committee lead Carol Kuzmich a check for $2,500 to go toward the Young Women Leaders Scholarship Fund. That donation brings the total raised by the “Girls Just Want To Have Fund$” golf outing to $14,000. Also present were (from left) event staff James Wilson, committee members Bethany Lamb and Sarah Fox and staff Bob Bradish, Jeanne Lindenmuth, Bobby Bradish and Karen Habben. Absent were committee members Janice Corrigan, Jane Goetz and Fran Brolley and staff Erika Mucci and Lauren Mucci. (Charlie Ellerbrock)
The sweet results of the hard work that went into the “Girls Just Want To Have Fund$” golf fundraiser got a little dose of added sugar.
The third annual event, a fundraiser conducted by the Women Inspired Network to benefit the Young Women Leaders Scholarship Fund, was already a success, raising more than $11,000 at the tournament held the Pine Hills Golf Course on Sept. 14.
But the added sweetener came from Yvette Baiz, a nurse at OSF St. Elizabeth Hospital in Ottawa who, as the winner of a legacy award at a nursing symposium held in Peoria, chose to contribute to the scholarship another $2,500 to the worthy cause.
“So all total, it brings us to around $14,000, which is a pretty impressive number for a golf outing,” said the Fundraising Committee leader Carol Kuzmich. “The committee really stepped up this year to bring in more sponsorships for the outing than we’ve ever had before, so now to add this windfall, the scholarships are really catching on.”
Fran Brolley, president and CEO of the Starved Rock Community Foundation that manages WIN, had nothing but praise for the event committee, its dedication and its hard work.
“The WIN golf committee led by Carol has my utmost admiration for what they’re able to accomplish,” Brolley said. “For two years, I’ve witnessed the planning, extensive outreach and long hours that go into making it successful.
“I’ve also seen the outstanding young women leaders who have benefited from all their work. Their dedication is rewarding highly-deserving students.”
Baiz was attending an annual symposium at OSF St. Francis Hospital and was one of three finalists for a legacy award. She didn’t win, but OSF decided for the first time in the history of the honor that the other finalists – both well involved in charity work – would receive a prize of $2,500 to be presented to their favorite charity.
“Obviously, I was really thrilled by that,” Baiz said. “I was so thrilled, I walked off stage the wrong direction, I was so excited. As soon as I was able, I took a picture of it and sent it to Carol because I knew it was going right to the scholarships. I’m just thrilled to add this to the fund.”
Having already been selected by Evaluation Committee leader Jane Goetz and her group, the previous recipients of the scholarships are all doing well in their chosen pursuits.
Streator High School graduate Sarah Kaschke still is involved in medicine studies at Accenture in Chicago; Marquette Academy alumnus Kaitlyn Magoonaugh is near graduating in education at St. Mary’s of Notre Dame and Ottawa High School grad Corinne Francis is studying fine arts at Northern Illinois University.
The most recent recipient, Ottawa’s Kate Passwater, is just getting started in computer science at Iowa State University.
Though the scholarship has been presented to four women from La Salle County, those interested in applying can come from any one of six counties, including Bureau, Putnam, Marshall, Lee and Livingston counties. Applications for two available $3,000 scholarships – funds that are paid directly to the recipient’s chosen school – will be accepted beginning in January.
“That’s what we had figured, but that was before we knew we were receiving this extra donation, so we may have to reevaluate that,” Kuzmich said. “I know that the scholarships have gone to local (La Salle County) women, but we’d love to have women from all over those five counties step forward and apply. This is for them.”
Financial donations can be made to the scholarship fund in person or by mail to 241 Marquette St., La Salle, IL 61301. Checks should be made payable to SRCCF. For more information about the WIN scholarships, call 815-252-2906.
Scholarship applications for the 2025 awards will open when it is posted Jan. 8 on the SRCCF page.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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