Mercy Ministries Slaton Area Endowment to Celebrate $100,000 Raised

Endowment surpasses $100,000 goal to receive additional $50,000 match

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sherry Boyles 806/762-8061

February 4, 2014

SLATON, TX—On Thursday, February 13, 2014, the founders of the Mercy Ministries Slaton Area Endowment will hold a reception open to the public to celebrate their success in surpassing their one-year goal to raise $100,000. The Endowment’s Founding Advisory Board raised $107,000, triggering a $50,000 grant that the Lubbock Area Foundation committed if the group raised $100,000.

“The Mercy Ministries Slaton Area Endowment was formed under the umbrella of the Lubbock Area Foundation,” said Mark Meurer, Founder and Advisory Board Chair for the Slaton Endowment. “But all of the money we raise stays here in Slaton.”

The Lubbock Area Foundation partnered with the CH Foundation in Lubbock to issue a $50,000 match challenge to jumpstart the new Slaton Endowment. The Lubbock Area Foundation donated $50,000 when the $100,000 goal was met as well as an additional $5,000 to fund community grants this past year.

To celebrate their accomplishment and the match grant, Slaton’s endowment advisory board members will host a reception on February 13, 2014 at the Harvey House from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The event is open to the Slaton public. The Founding Advisory Board is composed of Kevin Buxkemper, Richard Edwards, David Ehler, Dubbin England, David Gossett, Cleve Kerby, Roger Kitten, Darris Linder, Mark Allen Meurer, Wayne Schilling, Carla Stricklin and Sherrell Wilson.

“These funds are pooled into a large endowment and the income from that endowment ensures that important services will be here decades and even generations to aid our children and grandchildren,” Mr. Meurer added.

“The Lubbock Area Foundation serves a 15-county area in Texas’ South Plains, including the Slaton area,” said Sheryl Cates, President of the Lubbock Area Foundation. “It is our mission to encourage families and companies throughout the South Plains to consider donating to causes that they care about and to make sure these causes have reliable income that will keep their doors open, especially in tough times.”

The Slaton-area Advisory Board awarded their first round of grants last summer. Recipients included Mercy Manna, the Slaton Senior Citizens Center, Slaton’s historic Harvey House and the Weekend Snack Sack program so that low-income children will have food on the weekends while school is closed.

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