CHI Memorial Foundation and The MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Foundation have joined together, Memorial Hospital announced Friday.
The CHI Memorial Foundation will take over all daily operations of the Scholarship Foundation, including the application process, fundraising efforts, receiving donations and disbursement of scholarship funds.
The MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Fund at CHI Memorial Foundation is a college scholarship program for children who have either lost a parent to breast cancer, have a parent who is a breast cancer survivor, or have a parent who is currently in treatment. The organization was founded as an independent nonprofit in 2002 by MaryEllen Locher, a long-time news anchor and health reporter for WTVC-TV in Chattanooga.
Locher, who died in 2005 after her third bout with cancer, started the foundation because she was concerned about her own son’s future education and did not want other parents to share that concern while they were in the midst of their own struggles with this disease.
“Many supporters did not realize there was a difference between the MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Foundation and the MaryEllen Locher Breast Center at CHI Memorial Hospital,” said Jennifer Nicely, president of the CHI Memorial Foundation. “By joining together, we will eliminate that confusion and further strengthen the fundraising efforts for both entities, as the CHI Memorial Foundation will be the sole entity raising funds for both efforts. It will also ultimately result in greater financial assistance for Chattanooga-area college students who have been affected by breast cancer.”
The MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Fund at CHI Memorial Foundation has awarded more than 500 scholarships totaling $912,000.
“Over the last 18 years, I have watched my mother’s dream grow into something I know would make her extremely proud,” said Alex Burd, MaryEllen Locher’s son. “This should not be seen as the end of the MaryEllen Scholarship Foundation, but rather the beginning of a great new opportunity to expand on my mother’s mission to help even more families affected by breast cancer.”
Funds for the scholarships are raised through special events, individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and private grants.