Ruthmere Champions
The Ruthmere Champions campaign for sustainability has successfully concluded. Thank you!!
Endowed Funds - $2,963,141.00
Non-Endowed Funds - $7,171,998.00
TOTAL - $10,135,139.00
FINAL LIST OF INDIVIDUAL RUTHMERE CHAMPIONS
Richard & Linda Armstrong
Tom & Dottie Arnold
Steve & Julie Bachman
Doug & Sharon Beardsley
Robert Buchanan Beardsley
Jack & Karen Cittadine
Arthur J. Decio
Robert & Mary Pat Deputy
George & Kathy Freese
Connie Fulmer
Doug & Karen Grant
Judy Kistner
Dan & Jan Morrison
Joan Beardsley Norris
Rex & Alice Martin Foundation
Brian & Lauri Smith
Dorinda Miles Smith
Raymond & Teri Stout
George Thomas, Jr.
Jeff & Phid Wells
The Welter Foundation
Community Foundation of Elkhart County
Kem Krest
"Ruthmere Champions" was a special sustainability campaign designation for people, businesses and granting organizations that were committed to seeing the Ruthmere Campus thrive now and forever. The threshold for being recognized as an Individual Ruthmere Champion was a minimum qualifying gift commitment of $25,000 gifted over a 1-5 year period. The original goal of the Champions campaign established in 2018 was to raise $5 million in public support, and $5 million of internal support primarily through legacy gifts for a total of $10 million to provide permanent sustainability.
In August, 2019, the Ruthmere Board of Directors unanimously decided to sell the Ruthmere collection piece known as The Fallen Caryatid Carrying Her Stone by Auguste Rodin with the proceeds placed toward the goal of Champions internal support. Walter R. Beardsley gifted the sculpture to Ruthmere in 1978 with the provision that the museum might sell it in the future if it was deemed appropriate and beneficial. On November 12, 2019, the piece was sold at public auction at Sotheby's in New York City. Proceeds from this sale were added into the Ruthmere Champions campaign under the two categories "Endowed Funds" and "Non-Endowed Funds."
"Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely."
Auguste Rodin
Auguste Rodin's The Fallen Caryatid Carrying Her Stone
On June 1, 2021, Ruthmere's Founding Director Robert Buchanan Beardsley died, leaving a generous legacy gift in his estate that was officially added to the Champions campaign in the "Non-Endowed Funds" category on his birthday, September 8, 2021. That morning at the Breakfast of Champions event which was held at the Lerner Crystal Ballroom, it was announced that the Ruthmere Champions campaign was successfully concluded, and a request was made for all Ruthmere Champions to please fulfill their remaining pledges as planned, but there would be no further solicitations for this campaign.
Robert Buchanan Beardsley
September 8, 1933 - June 1, 2021
We cannot say thank you enough to our Individual Ruthmere Champions as
well the many supporters who came together to form "Champion Teams." The collective gifts of each Team equaled the requirement for an Individual
Champion. Champion Teams included the following:
"The Trailblazers"
Jim & Shelia Bridenstine
Bill & Lori Firstenberger
David T. & Susan Lehman
Karen Nicholson
Terry Trimmer
"The Luminaries"
Stuart & Paula Barb
Tom Deputy
Kent & Becky Bontreger
The Corson Family Foundation
Tom & Sue Neat
"The Pioneers"
Ed & Mary Jo Beardsley
Raymond & Mary Pat Mathis
James W. Rieckhoff
Dale & Shelly Seely
Marie Smith
Janet Evanega