• 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

  • Generations Labor to Preserve Local Landmark

    Four generations of the Ballinger family have worked to preserve a historic local treasure. The True Home at the corner of State and Church Streets stands out with its gables and white picket fences bursting with colorful flowers. “My mother loved geraniums so my father would plant lots of them,” said Rex Ballinger, the current […]Read More »
  • Royal Family Kids Camp

    A Camp That Changes Lives For the last 16 years, Royal Family Kids Camp has been serving the abused and neglected children of Marion County. RFKC is a national organization and their goal is to have a local camp in every county in the United States. The RFKC mission is to change the lives for […]Read More »
  • Rob Vance

    Rob Vance started his business — Rob’s Hauling Services — from scratch more than 25 years ago in Marion. That alone is a wonderful thing; but, it’s the things that Rob does outside of his job that made him a MarionMade! story.  Just this last weekend, he worked to make sure his neighborhood’s front yards, […]Read More »
  • Local Leaders Prepared for Hazmat Disasters

    If a hazardous materials leak like East Palestine happened in Marion, would local responders be ready?  The League of Women Voters of Marion invited Assistant Chief Paul Glosser of the Marion Fire Department and Sarah McNamee, Director of the Marion County Office of Emergency Management, to speak to residents at a public forum hosted by […]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