GODFREY - The Beem Family Foundation is looking for sponsors as they prepare to host their first trivia night in May.
The foundation, formed in Sharilyn Beem’s honor, contributes to local organizations to promote health, education and community development. The trivia night, scheduled for May 18, 2024, will raise money for scholarships for Lewis and Clark Community College (LCCC) students.
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“Our main goal is to enrich the community by supporting local charity organizations,” said Nicholas Wittman, the organization’s president and Beem’s grandson. “We’re happy to get out and about and try to get more people aware of what we’re doing.”
The organization’s board is made up of family members who are devoted to the cause. Wittman explained that the foundation aims to carry on Sharilyn’s legacy of giving back. Through the trivia night, they hope to fund three memorial scholarships at LCCC in honor of Beem, Wittman’s uncle Steve Saale and his father Mike Wittman.
“That was the main idea, for all the people we lost,” Wittman said. “They were drivers in helping others and putting others’ needs in front of their own. So when we’re talking about how we can honor them even through hard times with a few losses in the past couple of years, which have been tough, thinking about what they did and how they spent their time and how they conducted themselves in life was what we wanted to do. This is the best way we know how to honor that.”
The family formed the Beem Family Foundation in 2022, and they’ve made donations to local organizations like 5As, Pride, Inc. and the Godfrey Women’s Club. Beem volunteered with LCCC, so the family is eager to establish a scholarship in her honor.
Wittman noted that creating the organization has been an exciting experience and a great chance to honor his loved ones. The trivia night is scheduled for 7–10 p.m. on May 18 at the Godfrey Sportsmen’s Club. This will be the organization's first big event, and they are currently seeking sponsors and raffle items to make the night successful.
“We’re excited to get it more well-known in the area,” he added. “We’re growing and learning. It’s kind of new to all of us as far as running an organization goes. We’ve all volunteered in different things along the way, but starting from scratch and building one has been a little bit of a journey, which has been fun…We’re hoping to raise money to set those scholarships up and hopefully we’ll continue those and keep those going along with other things that we do.”
For more information about the event, or to inquire about sponsorships or donations, you can email beemfamilyfoundation@gmail.com. Visit their official website at BeemFamilyFoundation.com to learn more about the organization.
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