Home » Resources » District News » Jeffrey Rosacker Endowed Fund established
Jeffrey Rosacker Endowed Fund established
Gary and Linda Rosacker of Grand Island have established the Jeffrey Rosacker Endowed Fund with the Grand Island Education Foundation.The Rosackers gave $10,000 to set up an endowed fund in memory of their son Jeff Rosacker, 21, who died on May 2, 2008, said Traci Skalberg, executive director of the Grand Island Education Foundation.
Jeff Rosacker attended Seedling Mile Elementary School and Barr Middle School and was a 2005 graduate of Grand Island Senior High School. At the time of his death, he was attending Southeast Community College in Lincoln.
The Jeffrey Rosacker Endowed Fund will award grants annually to benefit students served at the Saint Francis Medical Center Student Wellness Center located at Grand Island Senior High School. The fund is designed to help students who are diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder with suicide ideation. The fund will pay for counseling sessions and other mental health services when a student's family has no or limited ability to pay.
The annual grant from the Jeffrey Rosacker Endowed Fund will be matched by the Saint Francis Medical Center Foundation to double the impact for students needing services.
Jeff Rosacker was a member of the Ultimate Image Show Choir and played baseball on Grand Island Senior High School and American Legion teams. He had many friends who cherish his memory. Jeff also suffered from severe depression, which ultimately ended his life. Studies indicate that 5 percent to 10 percent of adolescent youth suffer from a major form of a mental health disorder.
"Gary and Linda did not want to define Jeff's life by this illness that he fought. But, they wanted to help other families. They wanted to make a difference for other students so that those suffering could get better, and their families would not have to face the pain of losing a child," Skalberg said.
The Jeffrey Rosacker Endowed Fund is a perpetual fund that will make grants forever to benefit students. The Grand Island Education Foundation manages the fund. The Grand Island Education Foundation is a qualified non-profit organization and operating endowment that accepts gifts on behalf of the students who attend the Grand Island Public Schools. The Foundation administers more than 50 endowed funds established by individuals and corporations for the perpetual benefit of students.
For more information, contact: Traci Skalberg, executive director, Grand Island Education Foundation, (308) 385-5900, tskalber@gips.org
IN THE NEWS
District Headlines:
January 30, 2012
Kindles in the classroom
January 17, 2012
Dedication scheduled for the new Success Academy
December 21, 2011
GI Students Donate to Local Animal Shelter
August 8, 2011
GISH Musical
August 2, 2011