The proceeds – including funds from the raffle – provide about $28,000 each year. The money is distributed among each Butler County high school to give $2,000 scholarships to students in the following year’s graduating class, organizers said.
“We so appreciate the support we get from all of the people who supported Joe in the past in his endeavor,” said Bonnie Nuxhall, Joe Nuxhall’s daughter-in-law. “It was very important to him to see all the people come and support education and the children of Butler County.”
The Joe Nuxhall Scholar-Athlete Award goes to students at the 14 schools that excel in both academics and sports, Fairfield Community Foundation President Betsy Hope said.
Hope said that because Nuxhall did not attend college, it was always his goal to encourage children to pursue higher education.
Most schools choose to split the scholarship money to give $1,000 to two students, said John Brunner, Fairfield Community Foundation Board of Trustees chairman.
The scholarship program is just one piece of the larger Joe Nuxhall Project, managed by the Fairfield Community Foundation, which helps develop character and sports for area children, Brunner said. Other programs under the project include the Miracle League Fields for youth baseball and the Reds Rookie Success League, a free baseball program for disadvantaged youth in Butler County.
Fairfield Community Foundation Office Manager Margie Akeley said veterans of the open are bringing new faces to it, which ensures the event will continue for several more years.
Brunner said he knew Nuxhall, as did many of the people who attend each year.
“I always said he was a class act,” he said. “It’s an honor for us to be a part of it.”
The money raised each year for the students shows that Nuxhall’s legacy in the community continues, Hope said.
“He keeps living on through his projects,” she said. “He still keeps helping people.”
Contact this reporter at (513)483-5236 or beena.raghavendran@coxinc.com.
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