A celebration of generosity by Delaware County’s agricultural community, business and youth came to life at the Delaware County Foundation’s annual Evening of Generosity.

More than 300 guests from business, the nonprofit community, donors, volunteers, education and county officials, honored those who give back so generously, a news release states.

The Evening of Generosity celebrated four awardees representing those who give to the community locally and statewide.

Awards were presented to ToolMatics represented by Al and Mindy Valko for Outstanding Business; Tom Price and Price Farms Organics as the Spirit of Philanthropy Awardee; Larry Cline as Outstanding Volunteer; and Outstanding Youth Group was the Olentangy High School Service Club.

The Olentangy Schools were well represented as the Olentangy High School Show Choir and Jazz Band provided music.

Attendees were welcomed with red carpet photos, donated by Klatte Photography of Powell. IDS Image Design Studios provided the award winners photos.

Four videos showcased the work of the Foundation through the community, its grantees and a scholarship recipient. They featured Delaware attorney, Steve Martin, the Outstanding Business Awardee in 2015; Turning Point, the community’s domestic violence shelter and its executive director Paula Roller; and Family Promise Delaware’s family homeless shelter and its executive director Ben Powers.

Natalie Pax was featured as a representative of the hundreds of students receiving scholarships through the Foundation. She is a graduate of Olentangy Orange High School and attends The Ohio State University.

Delaware County Foundation President, Marlene Casini, reported that the Foundation had its greatest year ever with $1.3 million being given in grants and scholarships. She also recognized the donors who create charitable funds at Foundation. They have helped to grow the Foundation to help meet community needs now and in the future.

“Extremely important to the success of the event is the continued support of sponsors lead by Chesrown Chevrolet Buick GMC and the Gill Family,” Casini said.

Diamond Sponsors included Delaware County Bank, Delaware Golf Club, Nationwide, Robert Weiler Company and Trucco Construction Company. Polaris Centers of Commerce/NP Limited Partnership sponsored the martini luge.

Gold Sponsors were: Crawford Hoying, First Financial Bank, GFS Chemicals, Inc., Luvata Ohio, Inc., Mt. Carmel Health System, OhioHealth, Rinehart, Rishel and Cuckler, Mike Tarullo and Weller, Steele, Miller, LLC.

There were also 28 Silver Sponsors.

ToolMatics, Inc., Outstanding Business

ToolMatics,Inc. in Delaware is owned and operated by Al Valko. Under Al’s leadership, the company embraces a culture which encourages and motivates employees to participate in philanthropy and community service.

Together with his wife and business partner, Mindy, they have developed a successful business in assembly tools, tightening systems, assembly and ergonomic material handling systems and repair. They recognize that the most valuable asset any company can have is a well-trained and dedicated customer oriented staff.

ToolMatics supports People in Need of Delaware County, the Cancer Support Community, Powell Cruz In for the Sertoma Club, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Powell Fest, the Liberty Presbyterian Boy Scout Troop and the Olentangy Rotary Club.

Al Valko and ToolMatics has supported the Olentangy Rotary in all of its community service projects. Al is a founding member, past president and Paul Harris Fellow Benefactor.

Whenever the Rotary Club needs a volunteer or corporate sponsor the Club turns to ToolMatics to lead the way. Fellow Rotarians say that Al embodies, through financial and participative support, the Rotary Mission: To advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.

He was there as the Rotary distributed produce at People in Need, when they gathered donated school supplies and when they assembled packets of replacement smoke alarm batteries for those living in low-income homes.

The ToolMatics’ name can be seen as a sponsor of many charitable events around the community. Valko impresses people, who soon become friends, with his quiet leadership, his endless philanthropic support and his reliability to champion a good cause without personal fanfare or the need to be in the spotlight.

Tom Price, Price Farms Organics, Spirit of Philanthropy Award

Tom Price works every day to support the agricultural community and to improve the lives of residents in Delaware County and throughout Ohio. He is always vested in projects that make a positive contribution to the environment and social structure of the community.

A sixth-generation farmer in Delaware County, Tom volunteers in many capacities at the State level including as a member of the Ohio Exposition Center and Ohio State Fair Commission. He is the only person to be elected by his peers as chair of the Commission for three consecutive years. During his tenure, he promoted youth scholarships, enhanced involvement and visibility of the Junior Fair Board, All Ohio State Fair Band and the All Ohio State Fair Youth Choir as well as the upgrading of the facilities throughout the 360 acre campus.

Tom has served on numerous boards and commissions including Delaware Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors and Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission. In addition, he received awards for his service including the Ohio Pork Producer Service Award and the Ohio Cattlemen’s Environmental Stewardship Award among others. He is a member of the Ohio Agriculture Hall of Fame and the Delaware County Agriculture Hall of Fame. He is an active participant in the Ohio 4-H Foundation.

He gives back to his alma mater as a member of the advisory council of The Ohio State University College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences

Tom spearheaded the challenge to begin Zero Waste at the Ohio Stadium and to include every event held there. As a result, Zero Waste composts more than 40 tons of food and fiber waste from the stadium.

The general manager of Price Farms Organics, Ltd, Pork-Q-Pine Farm and Price Marketing, his team takes local grocery store produce, landscape trimmings and manure from the Columbus Zoo to produce mulch and compost, which annually keeps tons of material out of landfills.

Tom enjoys sharing his knowledge with others, especially children. During the annual Farm Bureau Ag Day, he teaches school children that “composting is not stinky.” As a farmer and producer, Tom pioneered the use of bio-filters in managing livestock odors. He is a leader in composting manures and other livestock waste. He donates his composting products to numerous community gardens and nonprofit organizations.

Married to his wife Judy for 51 years, they have three children and eight grandchildren.

Larry Cline, Outstanding Volunteer

Larry Cline, owner of Cline Family Farms in Waldo, was an advocate, educator,

family man and farmer. Larry had a passion for the community, for the land and for its people.

Larry pursued a life devoted to his family, church, farming, learning and teaching, and to serving the Delaware County community. A third generation farmer, Larry farmed side by side with his father, uncle, cousins and son.

Larry valued and supported education at all levels. While attending The Ohio State University Marion, he served as its first student government president. He earned an agronomy degree from Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He became a trustee of The Ohio State University at Marion.

His service to the community continued as a member of the Buckeye Valley Schools Board of Education, and the Buckeye Valley athletic and band boosters. He was even a substitute teacher. Along with others, he and his wife ran the Buckeye Valley Food Booth at the Delaware County Fair for 17 years.

For 10 years, he held key volunteer positions with the Department of Education. Larry also served on the Ohio School Boards Association and was its chair.

For Larry, everything was a teachable moment. He was always open and willing to share his knowledge of agriculture, conservation, and life lessons. Larry served and participated in the Delaware County Farm Bureau for nearly 25 years.

The organizations that benefitted from Larry’s involvement are numerous. Some include Delaware County Board of Mental Health, Delaware County Board of Health, Delaware County Finance Authority, Delaware County Sales Tax Advisory Committee, Delaware Area Chamber of Commerce, Marion Goodwill Industries and the United Way of Delaware County. He was a trustee for Marlboro Township.

A Navy veteran, he served in Vietnam and was a founding member of the Delaware County Chapter of Vietnam Veterans. Larry was a proud husband of Criss, father of three and grandfather of five.

Olentangy High School Service Club,

Outstanding Youth Group

The Olentangy High School Service Club helps members develop character, responsibility, and skills necessary to become productive, contributing citizens. At the same time, the Club helps the community and improves the reputation of youth. They learn about volunteer obligations and responsibilities, the value of hard work and the importance of “paying it forward.”

Started in 1997, it the Service Club was created as a result of the interest of five students, calling themselves, “the Founding Fathers.”

In its first year, there were 126 volunteer members who gave 1,534 service hours. This past year, more than 500 student volunteers were involved contributing more than 14,000 service hours.

Student-driven projects include volunteering for People In Need of Delaware County’s annual Holiday Clearing House, one of the few youth groups allowed to participate on Distribution Day because of their maturity, professionalism, hard work and dignity they afford to those less fortunate.

Students collect 5,237 pounds of non-perishable foods and 250 toys for People In Need. Students provided babysitting during meetings for Olentangy Local School District elementary PTO organizations and during district forums.

They donated more than 90 prom dresses to the Fairy Goodmothers for girls throughout the Columbus area who could not afford a prom dress. They hosted senior citizens for a dessert event and the high school spring musical. They sent valentines to U.S. Veterans, helped run events at elementary school carnival fund raisers and collected school supplies for Columbus area elementary schools.

Mission

The Delaware County Foundation is a pool of charitable dollars that grow over time. As a community foundation it assists individuals, families and businesses with their charitable giving.