Shaw Local

News   •   Sports   •   Obituaries   •   eNewspaper   •   Election   •   The Scene   •   175 Years
Illinois Valley

OHS/MHS Class of 1984 donates $7.5K to Natalie Claire Conrad Memorial Foundation

Euchre tournament raises largest single donation ever from graduating class for Natalie Claire Conrad Memorial Foundation

Members of the OHS/MHS Class of 1984 pose with a $7,500 donation check to the Natalie Claire Conrad Memorial Foundation at Valentino’s in Ottawa on Tuesday, March 25. From left to right: Chris Saar, Tracy Kistenfeger, Kathi Johnson, Dave Conrad, Rich Phelps, Jill Conrad, Kim Michelini, Jessica Haywood, and Carol Kuzmich.

Members of the OHS/MHS Class of 1984 pose with a $7,500 donation check to the Natalie Claire Conrad Memorial Foundation at Valentino’s in Ottawa on Tuesday, March 25. From left to right: Chris Saar, Tracy Kistenfeger, Kathi Johnson, Dave Conrad, Rich Phelps, Jill Conrad, Kim Michelini, Jessica Haywood, and Carol Kuzmich. (Photo Provided by Carol Kuzmich)

By Bill Freskos

The Ottawa/Marquette High School Class of 1984 donated over $7,500 to the Natalie Claire Conrad Memorial Foundation.

Carol Kuzmich and Chris Saar, along with others, organized the pre-St. Patrick’s Day euchre tournament and managed to get 80 players out last month at the Ottawa VFW.

According to Kuzmich, this year marks the largest single donation ever from her graduating class.

The foundation thanked for the donation with a statement:

“The Natalie Claire Memorial Foundation proudly accepts the OHS/MHS Class of ’84 alumni’s generous donation to our nonprofit. Our mission is ‘Strong minds for stronger communities,’ and this donation will support our efforts in giving back to others.

We fundraise all year long to host free family events, fill micro pantries, award a scholarship to one high school soccer player each year, help those in need, donate to other organizations, and always pay it forward — just as Nat would have done. We have donated over $30,000 to our community in the last three years. Thank you to the alumni, NCC volunteers, and the VFW for hosting this event! We couldn’t do it without you."

OttawaMyWebTimesLocal News

Bill Freskos

Bill Freskos is a multimedia journalist based in the Illinois Valley. He covers hard news, local government, sports, business enterprise, and politics while contributing to Shaw Local Radio stations for Shaw Media across La Salle, Bureau, and Putnam counties.