Marietta Natives Give Gift of Change

Posted 2016-12-02 by MCF

Jean and Glen “Pete” Thorne of Marietta passed away in early 2015. When they died, they made sure something bigger would live on by leaving a substantial gift to help improve Marietta. This is their legacy. 

Jean & Pete Thorne called Marietta home their whole lives. Jean worked at BF Goodrich for many years and volunteered for Meals on Wheels. Pete served in the U.S. Navy during WWII as a highly trained submariner on the USS Gato from 1943-1945. He worked in the ladies department at Sniffen’s in downtown Marietta and then 3C trucking. They were both very active in the community, but enjoyed their privacy. 

Marietta charmed the Thornes. They were endlessly impressed by the people that populate this quaint city and how deeply residents care for their community. They loved the downtown area and the simple pleasure gained from greeting business owners who both knew you and earnestly cared about your needs. They also loved the town’s history and promising future. 

They had the kind of relationship most only hope to find; they adored each other. Better yet, the skills, talents and interests of one seemed a perfect complement to the other. Pete was a gifted carver and Jean an accomplished painter. Their primitive Santa carvings and walking sticks were crafted with vivid detail. The hard wood was chiseled with care by Pete and softened with each stroke of Jean’s brush. Presentation was everything to them both. Though rather structured in appearance and manner, Jean had an artist’s heart and loved things that were open and free. 

While living, the hanging flower baskets downtown were the only detail of Marietta they hoped to change. Jean’s artistic eye longed for a visual display more befitting such a beautiful area. Jean recognized the uplifting effect gardens have when balanced with florals and greens that blend varied tones and textures. They also recognized this revitalization was not financially possible without help. That is their legacy: affecting real change to improve something they believed in. 

Most people give money in a structured way. When the Thornes donated, however, they put their full faith in the Foundation. The Thornes were traditionalists, but they were also forward thinking. When it came time to make an impact they chose to give to something open and let that gift be free to make the most difference. 

“The Thornes trusted us with this gift,” said Heather Allender, president and CEO of the Marietta Community Foundation. “It’s important that we learn about our donors’ interests and create a project in their honor that represents who they were.”

Through collaboration between the Marietta Community Foundation,

Marietta Main Street and Marietta in Bloom, the revitalization of the downtown flower baskets is underway. The beautification of historic Marietta is something the Thornes believed in, and still believe in through their gift. Presentation was everything and the Thornes knew that with a little help Marietta could be more. The Thornes’ legacy is extensive and does not end with the beautification of Marietta. It will go further to support our community by addressing the area’s most pressing needs.

Marietta Community Foundation and Memorial Health Foundation join forces to establish endowment in honor of local family

Posted 2016-11-21 by MCF
 

As so many members of the Marietta community are aware, Dr. Brad Carman has served the healthcare needs of our town for many years, his father doing just the same for almost thirty years before him. The Carman Family Chair of Surgery Fund was established to honor the Carman Family and their nearly sixty years of combined service in support of the community’s health.

“The endowment was established to recognize their outstanding record of service,” commented Dr. Charles Levy, original founder of the Fund. (Pictured, left to right: Dr. Brad Carman and Dr. Charles Levy)

A funded chair of surgery carries with it a number of advantages to our local hospital and healthcare system, a privilege normally reserved for only the most prestigious academic centers.  It will serve as a point of attraction for topflight applicants to residency programs which will, in the near future, include a general surgery residency.  It will serve as a focal point for charitable giving to the Department of Surgery, members of which have saved thousands of lives and have improved the lives of many more.  Finally, it will serve as a resource for funding advanced training and education for members of the department so that they remain the most technically skilled practitioners in our region and among the most skilled in the nation.

The Marietta Community Foundation will administer the Fund initially, since the work of the Carman family has been so important to the health and welfare of the Marietta community. At which point the assets of the endowment have grown to an operative level, the Memorial Health Foundation will facilitate transfers and begin the important work for which it is intended. “We are delighted to engage in this joint endeavor with the local community foundation and are pleased to assist with this commendable effort,” said Daneka Hedges, Executive Director of the Memorial Health Foundation.

Dr. Charles Levy adds, “My deepest thanks and most sincere appreciation to anyone who wishes to help grow this important resource that honors one of Marietta’s first families and, in so doing, helps support and continue the critically important work of our Department of Surgery—which is peerless.”

Honoring Veterans at Merchants and Artists Walk

The Marietta Community Foundation, Marietta Main Street, Marietta City Schools and local veterans are coming together for the next Merchants and Artists Walk on Friday, November 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. in Downtown Marietta and Harmar Village.

The event is all about celebrating the area’s unique local businesses in the downtown shopping district while featuring local art, music, craftsmanship and more. This time that ‘more’ is all about the celebration and recognition of local veterans.

In partnership with Marietta Main Street the Marietta Community Foundation has connected local veterans with area art students at Marietta High School as part of a veterans’ portrait project that will be showcased at the Merchants and Artists Walk.

“This is not the first time the Foundation has highlighted artwork from the high school during an event,” said Heather Allender, president and CEO of the Marietta Community Foundation. “The veterans focused Merchants and Artist Walk is a great chance for students to learn more about our veterans and bring new generations of the community together.”

To date, three area veterans have come to speak to the Marietta High School art class, led by teacher Heath Rader. The veteran volunteers shared their deeply personal experiences with students to provide a firsthand account of the daily realities they faced while in the service. After hearing these moving tales, students were then charged with the creation of portraits based on the veterans.

According to Rader, hearing the firsthand accounts of veterans has helped students understand not only the difficulties they have faced but also the unique comradery that is formed between veterans. “Students in my class get to see the human element. They gain emotional depth for their artwork which is the difference between good art and great,” said Rader.

The upcoming event is all about the community joining together to support one another. “This event is a truly unique opportunity to come out and support not just our merchants and artists, but also the student artists and our veterans,” said Cristie Thomas, executive director of Marietta Main Street.