International businesswoman Sare Lee Stevens Youngs made a difference in the lives of many. From quiet philanthropy, such as a donation to help a stranded Spanish traveler who needed money to return to the United States, to a very generous gift to support urologic cancer research at Ohio State University, Lee was very understated and very giving. Her legacy will impact our region forever through the Sara Lee Stevens-Youngs Family Memorial Fund.
How did your family decide to create the Sara Lee Stevens-Youngs Family Memorial Fund?
We decided to create the Sara Lee Stevens-Youngs Family Memorial Fund as a legacy and honor to our mother. We wanted to continue her nonprofit contributions through volunteer effort on the FAO Scholarship Committee (Carla was co-chair of the committee and continues to serve on the committee) and financial support to regional nonprofits.
Did your mother have a passion for helping others?
Yes, our mother did have a great passion for helping others. She reached out to people in her community and around the world. For example, as a supplement to her business activities, she was an active volunteer in Guernsey County through the Southeastern Ohio Regional Medical Center Auxiliary, which supported outreach programs in the region as well as in the former Soviet Union. She even helped a stranded fellow tour traveler in Spain that needed some extra money to get home and who became a lifelong friend.
What does the word “philanthropy” mean to your family?
In our family, the word philanthropy means promoting the welfare of our neighbors, especially in areas of education – where it will benefit lives for future years and generations.
What has been made possible and what will be made possible because of this fund?
The fund has supported the creation of three science clubs in the Rolling Hills School District (Guernsey County) at the intermediate, middle and high school levels. These clubs host regular hands-on learning activities, including an annual Science Family Night and often a field trip to the Columbus Zoo or The Wilds.
Additionally, the fund annually provides Blackboard for the district that is used for the Rolling Hills dual enrollment program.
Blackboard was a great resource this year at the high school. We were so pleased with the platform that we trained ALL the high school staff this summer on the intricacies that can make the platform an even bigger success. Teachers set up their classes and began to input information for blended technological learning. Our freshmen all have iPads this year, and the majority of our students have smartphones and computers/internet at home that allows them continuous access to the class and discussion boards even outside of the classroom environment. Blackboard gives our school a focused platform for students and teachers to house class data, discussions, assessments, information and feedback. This helps our students become technologically literate as well as college and career ready.
The fund has also supported a kitchen remodel as well as camp scholarships at Camp Otterbein in Logan, Ohio (Hocking Hills).
The fund also annually contributes to the Bob Evans and Wayne White Legacy Scholarship Fund for scholarships to aspiring students in the region that have financial need.
The fund regularly contributes to the Sara Lee Youngs Distinguished Lectureship in Bladder Cancer as well as the Sara Lee Youngs Memorial Fund at The Ohio State University Medical Center Department of Urology.