Billiters Establish CUSD # 7 Scholarship Through The Partnership

PRESS RELEASE

September 22, 2014 - Gillespie, Illinois - Dr. D. Ross and Mrs. Rosemary Billiter have presented a gift of $25,000 to The Partnership for Educational Excellence to be used for scholarships.

“We are grateful to the people of this area who have supported my medical practice,” says Dr. Billiter, who retired recently after nearly 50 years as a general surgeon at St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield. “This gift is an acknowledgment of our appreciation and an investment in the future of our area.”

The Billiters have chosen The Partnership, a not-for-profit, 501c3 education foundation in Community Unit School District #7 (CUSD#7) to administer their gift.

The Billiters say that after they read of the 2013 record award of 26 Partnership scholarships, they contacted President John Fassero, Jr. The combination of honoring and profiling donors as well as scholarship recipients appealed to them. “The Partnership has proven itself to be a good steward of donor’s funds for more than 20 years,” says Dr. Billiter. “We also hope that this gift will encourage others who are doing estate planning to include The Partnership and other academic programs in their plans.”

“I want to thank Dr. and Mrs. Billiter for their generosity and for their trust in The Partnership,” says Fassero, a founding member and second-time president. “We admire their commitment to the area’s children, and we will do our best to put their investment to work.”

The funds will be used to generate an annual $500 academic scholarship for a graduating Gillespie High School senior. In the past, The Partnership has awarded scholarships to up to 30 percent of the students in each graduating class. Based on recommendations and stated career goals, the scholarships have been awarded to students with a wide range of class ranks and GPAs (grade point averages).

The Partnership’s motto is: “Only on the foundation of education can our children build useful lives and a stable society.” For more information or to donate, please contact The Partnership at www.thepartnershipcusd7.org or P.O. Box 125, Gillespie IL 62033.