The Power of Endowment

Even from the distance of Omaha, Nebraska, Dr. Harry Keig held a place in his heart for his hometown of Middleport, Ohio in Meigs County. He always remembered the impact the teachers in his town had on his life, and none more significantly than Forrest Bachtel, a longtime teacher and coach at Middleport High School. With all Coach Bachtel had meant to him, Dr. Keig wanted to find a way to honor his legacy in the community and to help future generations of students pursue their education.

When Dr. Keig died in 2003, he left a gift in his will of $500,000 to start an endowment at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio. The idea was for the Fund to continue Coach Bachtel's legacy of serving students forever through a scholarship.

The Bachtel Scholarships recognize both academic achievement and athletic excellence with awards to a young man and a young woman in each category. In its earliest days, the Fund awarded each of the four students a one-year scholarship of $2,500, but because of the growth of the endowment at FAO over time, it has grown to give multi-year scholarship awards. Each year, four students now receive a $7,500 award to be used for up to three years of post-secondary education. The goal is to see the awards grow to support four years of school, and the Fund is well on its way.