Central Michigan Veteran's Endowment Fund
Though it was difficult operating with a small volunteer force, five local veterans came together to form the Central Michigan Veterans Fund (CMVF). The founders are Patrick Birgy, William Cain, Terry Kunst, Brian Rush, and Nick Cononico Jr., from the Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Since CMVF’s inception in 2010, the charitable organization has provided scholarships for veterans and their dependents in the Mid-Michigan area who have served during the global war on terrorism. The organization funds educational and awareness programs, as well as funding campaigns in the Mid-Michigan area on issues that pertain to the difficulties of re-integration back into civilian life. The organization also hosts an annual golf outing on the Saturday closest to the September 11th anniversary.
In 2018, the organization decided to place some of the proceeds from their most recent golf outing into an endowment fund that will continue to grow. The donor advised fund will support the efforts of organizations in Isabella County that serve military veterans.
In 2024, they awarded $12,900.00 to 15 local Central Michigan University and Mid Michigan College students. To date, they have provided 219 scholarships for a grand total of $154,910.00. After the first of the year, they will once again send their scholarship application to area schools for dependents of currently serving or honorably discharged veterans. In addition, they donated $3,000.00 to the CMU Student Veterans of America chapter for providing volunteers to help manage the outing. CMVF will again provide funds in 2025 for veteran re-integration programming. Since their inception they have provided approximately $30,000 in re-integration program funds. In 2024 they also donated $2,500.00 to the Central Michigan Veterans Endowment through the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation created in 2018 as a permanent funding source for the community. Endowment funds, currently at $38,562.07, will be used to provide further reintegration programming as well as other services to those that served. The first distribution from this fund was $940.00 to the American Legion Post 110 emergency fund to help area veterans.
To learn the very latest in happenings and events with the CMVF, please visit their Facebook page by clicking here!