November 5, 2024 – The Heart of Illinois Community Foundation has announced the establishment of the Wiesemann Family Scholarship Program.
Established with a $1 Million gift from Bob and Kathy Wiesemann, this new needs-based scholarship program is the largest scholarship established at the Foundation by living donors and will make college and apprentice programs more affordable for generations of central Illinois high school graduates. The gift will increase the HICF’s annual scholarship offering to over $280,000.
The Wiesemann Family Scholarship Program is available for the Fall 2025 semester and will provide an annual award of $50,000 in financial support to be distributed as ten $5,000 scholarships to deserving students. The scholarships are available to high school graduating students planning to attend college as well as those enrolling in apprentice or industrial trade programs.
“We are both thrilled and humbled by the generosity of the Wiesemann family,” said Natalie Beck, HICF CEO. “This incredible gift is another example of their dedication to helping people living in central Illinois. With the addition of ten $5,000 annual scholarships, the Wiesemanns’ legacy of putting others first will be carried on through their scholarship recipients. These scholarships will provide students with substantial financial relief as they begin their educational journey toward fulfilling their career dreams. We are truly grateful to the Wiesemann family for extending their mission of changing lives through our foundation.”
This is the second HICF endowed scholarship established by the Wiesemann Family. In 2019, they established a $50,000 endowed scholarship for Young Leaders in Action, which provides an annual $2,500 award.
“Our family is proud to support central Illinois graduates as they embark on their continuing educational journey,” Bob and Kathy shared. “We believe that education can transform lives. Whether graduates are headed to a university or trade school, our goal is to remove financial barriers so young leaders can focus on their future. Our hope is that they will, in turn, make meaningful contributions to their communities.”
Additionally, Bob and Kathy were honored in 2014 with the HICF Do Something Great community award for their significant charitable contributions. The couple now resides in Florida after living in Decatur for 32 years. They have three married daughters and eight grandchildren. Both Bob and Kathy have volunteered by chairing events and serving on boards. Bob is the retired CEO of Continental Carbonic Products (CCPI), a dry ice manufacturer and distributor in the eastern half of the United States and parts of Canada. The company was founded in 1975 by Bob and his father, Robert Sr. In 2014 when the company was sold to Matheson Tri-Gas, CCPI had 38 locations, including eight manufacturing plants, 750 employees and sales in excess of $110 million.
The HICF scholarship program includes one common scholarship application that matches applicants to a wide range of different scholarships. The scholarship portal will be open for applications for the Fall 2025 semester from January 1 thru March 1, 2025. HICF donors provide more than 290 scholarships annually with awards ranging from $500-$10,000. Learn more about HICF scholarships at https://www.heartofillinois.org/scholarship.
Natalie Beck and Kris Lutt of the Heart of Illinois Community Foundation joined Byers & Co to announce the establishment of the Wiesemann Family Scholarship. Listen to the podcast now!
