New Scholarship Opportunity

The Community Foundation is happy to announce the creation of the Douglas & Virginia Ware Scholarship. The scholarship, seeded by the Douglas and Virginia Ware Trust, is expected to be renewable at $8,000 per year for up to four years, for a total potential award of $32,000. This would be the second-largest spring scholarship opportunity available through the Community Foundation. 

The scholarship was created to recognize outstanding students who exceed their peers in leadership, character, academic excellence, work ethic, giving back to their community and helping others, proven success in competitive activities, and definable achievements for self, family, and community.  

Doug and Ginny are seasoned Huntington County scholarship supporters. They have given nearly $700,000 to fund the Robert M. “Bob” Straight Memorial and Steve Platt Memorial Endowed Scholarships since 2019 and look to continue their support through the Ware Scholarship.  

Scholarships are deeply personal to the Wares, and they often strike a mentor-type relationship with their scholars. “Doug and Ginny are wonderful people who create fantastic relationships with scholarship recipients and other students in our community,” says Keagan Landrum, 2022 Platt Scholar. Josie Eckert, 2022 Straight Scholar, continues by saying, “They go the extra mile, and I know I can always lean on them for advice and guidance.” 

In addition to their scholarship support, Doug & Ginny have also generously supported causes such as autoimmune disease research at the University of North Carolina Health Foundation and the Ware Plant Science Production Facility at Huntington University in honor of Doug’s father, Dale.  

“Doug has often said to me that he stands on the shoulders of the giants who profoundly influenced his life,” says Matt Ditzler, Community Foundation Executive Director. “The Wares have become giants in our community, paying it forward by providing a positive influence on their past, present, and future scholarship recipients.” 

Doug was born in Huntington County to Dale & Mary Ware in 1947. He went on to receive varsity athletic letters at Huntington High School and Purdue University and earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. in animal nutrition from Iowa State. He then spent a career in animal sciences research and development before selling his company, Nutrition Physiology Corporation, in 2016. He was inducted into the Huntington County Honors program in 2021. 

Ginny had a career in education and hospital settings after she received a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and a master’s degree in speech pathology from Indiana State University. She worked with children and adults before retiring as the Director of Providence Hospital Children’s Center in Everett, WA. 

The Douglas & Virginia Ware Scholarship started accepting applications on January 1^st as part of the Community Foundation’s universal scholarship application process. The scholarship will be available for graduating seniors at Huntington North High School who have displayed leadership in athletics, academics and extracurriculars. For more information on how to apply, please visit www.huntingtonccf.org/scholarships. Applications will be due by Thursday, February 29^th.