Community Foundation honors 2010 scholarship winners, Carroll Anstaett

The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation held its third annual Friends of the Foundation Luncheon July 29 at The Old Library restaurant. The luncheon honors Community Foundation scholarship winners and area philanthropists.

Carroll Anstaett, long-time Olean resident and retired investment manager for Smith Barney in Olean, was named this year’s Friend of the Foundation award winner. Mr. Anstaett has consistently demonstrated his generous, philanthropic spirit in our community. He regularly supports area projects and programs, including the Allegheny River Valley Trail, the Gift Tree Program through Interfaith Caregivers and the Olean Little League.

Having helped organize the Olean Little League in 1952, the league is especially dear to Mr. Anstaett. To ensure our community’s children have the chance to grow up learning and loving baseball, this spring he created the Carroll Anstaett Olean Little League Fund at the Community Foundation. The new fund’s first gift to the league was $5,750.

He also created the Gift Tree Fund at the Community Foundation in order to supplement the program’s efforts to bring holiday cheer to less fortunate families. Over the past three years, the Gift Tree Fund has supplemented the Gift Tree program with more than $9,000 in Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce gift certificates.

Representatives for Senator Cathy Young and Assemblyman Joe Giglio presented citations of recognition to Mr. Anstaett for his work in the community. On behalf of the legislators who had been called back to Albany, George Fillgrove, representing Ms. Young, and Wendy Brand, representing Mr. Giglio, read proclamations honoring Mr. Anstaett. Ms. Young also sent certificates of merit to the scholarship winners in recognition of their scholastic achievements.

Scholarship winners honored at the luncheon included:

Dr. Rudy Burt Scholarship: Jonathan Andhor, of Portville Central School; Michael Carr, of Allegany-Limestone Central School; Kaitlyn Putt, from Hinsdale Central School; and Amy Wetherby, from Olean High School. This $1,000 scholarship is available to graduating seniors from Allegany-Limestone Central School, Hinsdale Central School, Olean High School and Portville Central School.

Hinsdale Alumni Association Scholarship: Kathleen Fitzpatrick and Brent Liberati. This award, $1,000 this year, is available to graduating seniors of HCS who have maintained a grade point average of 80 percent or higher, demonstrate qualities of good citizenship and good character, and have definite educational goals.

Mohamed and Sakeena Iqbal Healthcare Award: Richard Trietley III. This $500 scholarship is for a student graduating from Allegany-Limestone Central School, ranked in the top 25 percent of the class, entering a discipline related to the medical field.

Kothari Family Healthcare Award: Brandon Barndt. This $250 award through the Kothari Family Fund is available to an Allegany-Limestone senior pursuing a degree in the healthcare field. This is the fund’s first scholarship award.

Pat McGee Nursing Scholarship: Amanda Smith, of Randolph Central School, and Kimberly Telaak, from Ellicottville Central School. This $1,000 scholarship is available to traditional and non-traditional students in the 57th State Senate district who are pursuing nursing.

John J. Murphy Family Scholarship: Jonathan Andhor, of Portville, will be attending Buffalo State College for mechanical engineering; Ben Giardini, of Allegany, plans to attend West Virginia University for economics; James Hardenbergh, of Olean, will be attending SUNY Buffalo for electrical engineering; Brent Liberati, of Hinsdale, will attend the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford for chemical engineering; Amanda Smith, of Randolph, will pursue a nursing degree from St. John Fisher College; and Kimberly Telaak plans to attend SUNY Brockport for nursing.

Established through a grant from the Communities Foundation of Texas, this $10,000 scholarship, with $2,500 awarded per year for up to four years, is available to students in the Twin Tiers region. It is also available to students whose family members are employed by or have retired from Dresser Rand in Olean. Preference is given to students pursuing degrees in business, engineering or nursing. Selection criteria includes scholastic achievement, school and community participation, demonstrated leadership potential and financial need.

OBI/McCarthy Scholarship: Renee Chapman, of Eldred, Pa. This award of $2,000, established through the Catherine Cridler Trust, is available to any student from New York or Pennsylvania attending or planning to attend Olean Business Institute for a degree in business. This is the scholarship fund’s first award.

Mark J. Prockton Memorial Scholarship: Jenna Covelli. Established by Mark J. Prockton’s brothers, this $500 scholarship is available to graduating seniors of Hamburg High School who have lettered in track and have the highest GPA.

Jonathan Teuscher Memorial Scholarship: Marcus Aiello, of ALCS; Casey Caya, of PCS; Allison Holly, from OHS; Jericca Linderman, from HCS, and Amanda Whiteman, from Archbishop Walsh High School. This $312.50 scholarship is awarded to graduates who have faced challenges while maintaining a positive attitude and helping others, with an additional award for each semester of continued education for a total of $2,500.

JoAnn Wehmeyer English Scholarship: AnaMarie Mehmel. This $1,000 award, given in memory of Olean High School English teacher, JoAnn Wehmeyer, is available to an Olean High School senior who excels in writing.

The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation issued a total of $84,750 in scholarship awards for 2010.

Scholarship winners at the Friends of the Foundation 2010 Luncheon included: (front row, from left) Jerrica Linderman, Kaitlyn Putt, Amanda Smith and Amy Wetherby, (back row) Michael Carr, Brandon Barndt, Benjamin Giardini, Jonathan Andhor and Kimberly Telaak.