By BRETT R. BOGGS
Superintendent, Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation

The Valley Hometown Advisory Board is planning a 40th birthday celebration for Tippecanoe Valley High School and all TVHS graduates are invited as well as graduates of Akron High School, Mentone High School, Beaver Dam High School, Burket High School, and Talma High School.

Tippecanoe Valley High School’s 40th Birthday Celebration will happen from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 20, with all activities to be held at Tippecanoe Valley High School. A picnic lunch will be served at 1 p.m. A variety of activities are planned for the enjoyment of adults and children alike. Participants are asked to RSVP by calling (574) 353-7741 or online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/tvhs40.

The Valley Hometown Advisory Board is a 17 member group representative of Tippecanoe Valley High School graduates, current students and staff. The Advisory Board administers the Valley Hometown Fund with the following purpose: “The mission of the Valley Hometown Fund is to connect TVSC Alumni with their schools and hometowns in support of education and community development.”

The Valley Hometown Fund is an effort to raise awareness and funds for community and educational needs in the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation, while recruiting alumni to re-engage in their hometowns. It is not a separate non-profit corporation with its own overhead expenses; the Northern Indiana Community Foundation has graciously offered to serve as its fiscal agent so that all contributions to this effort are tax-deductible and go entirely to support projects in the community.

The Valley Hometown Fund is not an “alumni association” and does not charge membership dues or fees. From time to time alumni may be invited to make a voluntary contribution of their time, talent, or treasure; however, the goal is to reach as many alumni as possible and let them know that their hometowns value them and hope they value their hometowns.

Valley’s hometowns are typical of the majority of the communities in Indiana and the Midwest. They still have their charms, virtues, and assets, but are not growing. The loss comes when young people leave for college, do not return, and are not replaced with an influx of other young people. Valley’s hometowns are losing businesses, population, social capital, and tax base. The Valley Hometown Fund, with the assistance of Valley alumni, can do something about this.

Many of those who have moved away have an affinity for their hometowns and would respond to requests to assist and give back. The Valley Hometown Fund provides that opportunity.

For more information on the Valley Hometown Fund visit www.valleyhometownfund.org or visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/valleyhometownfund. You may also call the TVSC Administration Office at (574) 353-7741 or contact Valley Hometown Advisory Board members Stephanie Bibler at [email protected], Angie Miller at [email protected], or Brett Boggs at [email protected].