A LIFE-LONG PASSION PROTECTED IN PERPETUITY

What is important to you? Do you care about a specific organization or have a passion for a cause?

Russ Vernon, the founder of the Wheeler Orchid Collection and Species Bank Fund, has a passion for orchids. Russ explains that he didn’t have much choice in the matter when it comes to his love for orchids. Both his parents and grandparents enjoyed gardening and even farmed. Russ used to save his allowance so he could buy cacti at the local Woolworths. And when he was just 12 years old, he began growing his first orchid.

After earning a degree in horticulture from The Ohio State University, Russ became the curator for the Wheeler Orchid Collection and Species Bank in 1973, located at Ball State University. During his time there, Russ worked tirelessly to establish an orchid collection for the greenhouse. He explained, “I decided to point in the direction of a conservation project.” The collection is still located at Ball State University. It is housed within the Dr. Joe and Alice Rinard Orchid Greenhouse.

The collection proved to be a huge success. During Russ’s time at the greenhouse, he managed to trade orchids with botanical gardens from Philadelphia, Ontario, and even the Kew Gardens in England! And to continue to support this collection, he decided to establish a fund through The Community Foundation.

And so, because I have a lot of emotional currency in the collection, I decided to set up this fund.

Russ established the Wheeler Orchid Collection and Species Bank Fund, a designated fund that benefits the orchid collection. Russ explains that he created the fund as a way of ensuring the collection’s preservation. Because the fund is endowed, the orchid collection will see benefits now and into the future.

That’s the goal of doing anything: to give it the support it needs to become better than it is.

The Community Foundation manages designated funds, benefiting specific programs and organizations, and field-of-interest funds, benefiting broad community causes that match donor passions. Let’s talk about what is important to you and if The Community Foundation can be your partner in achieving your charitable goals.

To learn more, contact Kelly K. Shrock, president, at 765-747-7181 or kshrock@cfmdin.org.