Sue Riley, who established the Daniel Patrick Riley Memorial Scholarship with help from the Cook County Community Fund, makes the 2011 scholarship presentation to Will Brandenberg.
Sue Riley remembers her husband’s love for life and education fondly. “Dan was a lifelong learner,” she says. “He was always supportive of the young people we knew pursuing their dreams through education.” And now, thanks to Sue’s efforts to keep her husband’s legacy alive, a new scholarship is available in Cook County for high school seniors pursuing a Liberal Arts degree. “I chose Liberal Arts because Dan’s love for learning was very broad,” Sue explains. “Dan had a lot of interests and I wanted to honor that passion.”
Ten years ago, establishing this type of legacy gift would have been more difficult, in part because there wasn’t an easy vehicle to oversee and manage the funds. This all changed in 2003, when a group of like-minded citizens decided to establish an affiliate fund through the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. By August 2003, the Cook County Community Fund was established providing a new option for charitable minded individuals to help the area both short-term and long-term.
Ten years later, the Cook County Community Fund has become a major resource for nonprofits and donors in the area. Each May, nonprofits can apply for grants from a variety of funds that have been established through estate or other gifts. To date, this equals 58 grants totaling $63,897, with 32 nonprofits receiving grants.
In addition, donors have the option of establishing a variety of different funds to best meet their long-term charitable giving goals. This is ultimately the path Sue chose when creating the Daniel Patrick Riley Memorial Scholarship.
The scholarship is one of several scholarship funds available to Cook County High School students. The scholarship fund was established following Dan’s passing in 2006 when his wife Sue wanted to do something to keep his legacy alive. Today, she hopes that students who receive the Daniel Patrick Riley Memorial Scholarship realize this opportunity exists because of Dan’s love for learning. “Dan touched so many people in positive ways throughout his life,” she says. “I know there’d be tears of pride in his eyes when these scholarships are awarded. He would be so thrilled.”
If you are interested in learning more about how you can get involved with the Cook County Community Fund, join organizers for our 10th Anniversary Celebration on October 8, 5-7 p.m. at the Johnson Heritage Post. If you are interested in making a donation to the fund, call (218) 726-0232 or visit: www.cookcountycommunityfund.org.
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