• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

MarionMade

People, Places, Products, Programs

Visit Us On FacebookVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On YoutubeCheck Our FeedVisit Us On Instagram
We Are Having Fun!We Are Generous!We Are Presidential!
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Events
    • MarionMade! 5k Sign Up
  • People
  • Places
  • Products
  • Programs
  • Links
  • Contact

Marion County Youth Foundation

By MarionMade! on July 25, 2017

In 1983, Bob and Paul Ludwig, John Courtright Sr., and Bruce Jenkins established the Marion County Youth Foundation, Inc. to financially assist Marion County youth as they pursued their goals in academic, vocational, and extracurricular activities. Subsequently, they formed a committee to plan the first Charity Celebrity Golf and Dinner Outing as the funding source for the Foundation.  This year, the organization hosted its 35th such event and raised $23,000 for Marion area youth.

The 2017 event was held on June 21 and welcomed 80 golfers and 14 celebrities, including Satch Sullinger, 2010 Naismith National High School Coach of the Year; Terry White, who played football for Ohio State, the Kansas City Chiefs and the former Houston Oilers; Ohio State Basketball star Rick Smith, and Ohio State Volleyball player Layne Dreven.

The Foundation supports local youth through grants, an application for which can be found on the organization’s website, marioncyf.com.

“The purpose of the Marion County Youth Foundation is to support young people in their chosen endeavors,” said President Dick Axline.

The leadership of the Marion County Youth Foundation includes, in addition to Axline: Vice President Steve Conway, Secretary Gary Iams, Treasurer Marge Dunaway and General Counsel Dustin Redmond.

Recent MarionMade! Stories

  • McKinley Leather

    October is National Manufacturing Month.  Marion County has a wealth of diverse manufacturers, both large and small.  Today, we are featuring one of our smaller manufacturers, who could also be considered artisans in the manufacturing world – McKinley Leather. Back in the early 1990s, Derek Williams decided he was tired of traveling around the country […]Read More »
  • Johnnie Jackson

    Johnnie Jackson grew up in Marion, Ohio, and like many young people left for college at 18.  While at the University of Findlay, getting his BS and Masters in Business/Marketing/Finance, he would come home each summer.  In his twenties, he moved to South Korea and traveled the world, visiting fifteen countries.  For many young people […]Read More »
  • Marion Imagination Library Sparks Love of Reading in Children

    Since 2020, the Marion Public Library has worked to recruit local children from birth to age five for the Imagination Library. So far, 47% of eligible local children have signed up to receive a book in their mailbox each month at no cost to the family from Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The Marion Public Library […]Read More »
  • Birch Tree Bookery Offers New & Used Books

    Tucked in between Hayes Glass and the Metro office at 117 North Greenwood, a new independent bookstore offers thousands of new and used books for readers of all ages. Crystal and Justin Bessler offer a range of genres at the Birch Tree Bookery. “We both have always loved to read!” Crystal said. “Many of our […]Read More »

Share Your MarionMade! Story

Click Here to share your story about MarionMade! people, places, products, and programs!
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Events
  • People
  • Places
  • Products
  • Programs
  • Links
  • Contact

Marion Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Downtown Marion Love INC Marion Public Library Marion Area Chamber of Commerce Marion CANDO! Marion Community Foundation United Way of Marion County Marion Technical College

© 2026 · MarionMade! is a community initiative led by Marion Technical College · Website is powered by Neighborhood Image