March 2009

To: All East Fairmont High School Alumni, Business Associates and Friends

It is my privilege as the new President of EFHS Foundation, Inc., to be thankful of the excellent leadership and guidance of our retiring President Mr. Elton Slusser. He has served the Foundation for many years and has been instrumental in its successes. Fortunately he is not leaving our Foundation and will, in fact, serve as Vice President in the future.

It is also my pleasure to report to all of you that our Foundation has continued to be financially secure and wisely invested so that you who have supported the Foundation so graciously with your gifts can know that this Foundation has weathered the storm of the nation's financial crisis and still maintains a positive rate of return on its assets. This is especially meaningful when you are aware that our Foundation awarded 28 new scholarships to students totaling over $32,000 in the spring of 2008 and will increase that amount this year. We are also proud of the fact that 4 of our scholarship plans are recurring scholarships that will support qualified students over their 4 year tenure in college, assuming they meet the annual renewal criteria. None of this would be possible without the continued support of gifts, both large and small, from alumni and community. The Foundation Board has established a special fund that will this year award its first renewable scholarship to a student, and this fund will eventually perpetuate 4 additional renewable scholarships in the future. Specific donations to this fund are, of course, encouraged.

Additionally, the Foundation continues to support other educational needs at EFHS, such as providing funds for students participating in Advanced Placement Testing, which grants them college credits if they pass, and providing curricular enhancements for College Biology and hardware for B-TV, the in-house television production class. The Foundation has also contributed to the annual Senior Picnic, Project Graduation and other school improvements.

As a means of maintaining contact with our thousands of alumni, we have options open to you that might make planning for reunions, reaching old friends and staying in contact with Foundation activities convenient for you. We have an active database of over 12,000 alumni and are now in the process of developing a Foundation webpage that may be accessed thru www.efhsfoundation.org. In addition, if you are planning a class reunion, Mrs. Clyde Dodd, "Berni" can help you streamline this process by use of our database information. You may contact her directly at bmdodd@comcast.net. I should also inform you that the Foundation has gold alumni t-shirts for sale @ $10.00. These are great for reunions or as gifts to graduates. To place orders, mail your request to EFHS Foundation at our new mailing address of P.O. Box 2189, Fairmont, WV 26555-2189.

Upcoming Fund raising events of the Foundation include our annual Mother's Day Fern Sale under the leadership of Joann Nuzum and Becky Phillips, which will take place May 7, 8 and 9 at the old Bauer Lumber building off East Park Avenue, and the Annual Foundation Golf Tournament which will be June 20, 2009 at Bel Meadows Golf Course. Donald "Butch" Furbee and his committee expect another great turnout, and these two events are the core of our fund raising activities for the year.

Respectfully submitted,

Delbert L. "Butch" Phillips, President

• 2009 Golf Tournament Information
• Foundation Donation Card