Rend Lake Foundation Special Awards: Mathew and Mr. A

By ReAnne Palmer 

INA, IL.  – It was a night of celebration and merriment at the 2017 Rend Lake College Foundation Annual Dinner with numerous surprise awards and announcements, starting with the 2017 Alumnus of the Year. The Annual Dinner was held Thursday, Dec. 7 at the Mt. Vernon Hotel & Events Center.

Before officially stepping down from the Foundation Board of Directors, Mathew, CENTER, met with Zibby-Damron, LEFT, and Wilkerson, RIGHT, at the RLC Foundation Annual Dinner on Thursday, Dec. 7.
(ReAnne Palmer / RLC Public Information)

After a standing ovation and boisterous round of applause for Alumnus of the year Bob Kelley, Rend Lake College foundation Kay Zibby-Damron reclaimed the podium for several other awards. She first honored RLC Foundation Board of Directors member Finny Mathew for his years of service. Mathew is stepping down from the board as he and his family are relocating to Oklahoma.

“We recently learned that one of our board directors, Mr. Finny Mathew, who is the CEO of Crossroads Hospital, will be leaving the area for a new opportunity,” said Zibby-Damron. “Finny has actively served on the Foundation board for the past four years. I have a great deal of respect for his attention to detail. Finny is always analyzing, asking questions, and examining the situation. He has also been a very strong advocate and supporter of Rend Lake College and our students.”

Mathew, upon receiving the surprise award, commented, “I wasn’t expecting this, but thank you very much. I have to say, if you look around the room, you see countless people who really care about this institution. It’s a powerful statement.”

Zibby-Damron also had a surprise award for one of the Foundation’s newest donors – a local man who saw a need and did more than just rise to the occasion; he overcame it.

“As the Foundation CEO, I have the privilege of working with some incredible individuals who keep me in awe of their generosity, their desire to help others, their efforts to build a stronger community, and their hopes that what they do just may make a difference,” she said. “I’d like to tell you about one of those individuals.”

“In March, I met a gentleman who told me about his desire to do something that would help RLC students who graduated from Benton High School who might need a little boost. We talked about some options. A few weeks later, he called to let me know that he was thinking about starting an endowed scholarship. Much to my surprise, he arrived in my office in early May with an even larger gift than we discussed.”

Mr. A spoke about the importance of giving back to his community at the RLC Foundation Annual Dinner on Thursday, Dec. 7.
(ReAnne Palmer / RLC Public Information)

She continued, “Two months later, he called me back and said he was going to stop by in the afternoon, and he did, with another generous gift to increase his endowed scholarship. Fast forward one month later and guess what? This gentleman calls me again with an idea. Because we have to wait one year for the endowed scholarship to earn interest before we award, he wanted to give a few one-time scholarships this year. When it was all said and done, this gentleman provided 18 scholarships that were awarded to 18 deserving students.”

“One of the greatest joys and blessings this past year has been getting to know Mr. Gene Alexander, who is fondly referred to as Mr. A. He is truly a ray of sunshine in an oftentimes cloudy world,” said Zibby-Damron.

Mr. A – a common face to be seen at elementary schools and libraries in Benton – is also known for drawing maps across the area. To date, he has painted over 370 maps for children in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri. He expressed his thanks to the Rend Lake College for embracing him and welcoming him into the family.

“Thank you very much. I hardly need to say anything, but it’s such a privilege to be here and be a part of Rend Lake College, and be a part of the Rend Lake family,” said Mr. A. “So many people have helped me to be where I am today, and it’s such a privilege to give back and help others. Thank you all and God bless you.”

The RLC Foundation Annual Dinner was sponsored by Hamilton County Telephone Co-Cop and subsidiaries, and People’s National Bank – both of which have been sponsors of the event for over a decade. The invocation was provided by Eric Black, RLC Board of Trustees Secretary, and live music was provided by Hannah Fullerton on piano.

To learn more about the RLC Foundation, contact Zibby-Damron at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1214 or foundation@rlc.edu.