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Ruthmere Champions


The Ruthmere Champions campaign for sustainability has successfully concluded. Thank you!!

Endowed Funds - $2,963,141.00

Non-Endowed Funds - $7,171,998.00

TOTAL - $10,135,139.00

FINAL LIST OF INDIVIDUAL RUTHMERE CHAMPIONS

Richard & Linda Armstrong

Tom & Dottie Arnold

Steve & Julie Bachman

Doug & Sharon Beardsley

Robert Buchanan Beardsley

Jack & Karen Cittadine

Arthur J. Decio

Robert & Mary Pat Deputy

George & Kathy Freese

Connie Fulmer

Doug & Karen Grant

Judy Kistner

Dan & Jan Morrison

Joan Beardsley Norris

Rex & Alice Martin Foundation

Brian & Lauri Smith

Dorinda Miles Smith

Raymond & Teri Stout

George Thomas, Jr.

Jeff & Phid Wells

The Welter Foundation

Community Foundation of Elkhart County

Kem Krest


"Ruthmere Champions" was a special sustainability campaign designation for people, businesses and granting organizations that were committed to seeing the Ruthmere Campus thrive now and forever.  The threshold for being recognized as an Individual Ruthmere Champion was a minimum qualifying gift commitment of $25,000 gifted over a 1-5 year period.  The original goal of the Champions campaign established in 2018 was to raise $5 million in public support, and $5 million of internal support primarily through legacy gifts for a total of $10 million to provide permanent sustainability.

In August, 2019, the Ruthmere Board of Directors unanimously decided to sell the Ruthmere collection piece known as The Fallen Caryatid Carrying Her Stone by Auguste Rodin with the proceeds placed toward the goal of Champions internal support. Walter R. Beardsley gifted the sculpture to Ruthmere in 1978 with the provision that the museum might sell it in the future if it was deemed appropriate and beneficial.  On November 12, 2019, the piece was sold at public auction at Sotheby's in New York City.  Proceeds from this sale were added into the Ruthmere Champions campaign under the two categories "Endowed Funds" and "Non-Endowed Funds."

"Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely." 
Auguste Rodin


Auguste Rodin's The Fallen Caryatid Carrying Her Stone

On June 1, 2021, Ruthmere's Founding Director Robert Buchanan Beardsley died, leaving a generous legacy gift in his estate that was officially added to the Champions campaign in the "Non-Endowed Funds" category on his birthday, September 8, 2021. That morning at the Breakfast of Champions event which was held at the Lerner Crystal Ballroom, it was announced that the Ruthmere Champions campaign was successfully concluded, and a request was made for all Ruthmere Champions to please fulfill their remaining pledges as planned, but there would be no further solicitations for this campaign. 


Robert Buchanan Beardsley
September 8, 1933 - June 1, 2021

We cannot say thank you enough to our Individual Ruthmere Champions as well the many supporters who came together to form "Champion Teams."  The collective gifts of each Team equaled the requirement for an Individual Champion.  Champion Teams included the following:

"The Trailblazers"
Jim & Shelia Bridenstine
Bill & Lori Firstenberger
David T. & Susan Lehman
Karen Nicholson
Terry Trimmer

"The Luminaries"
Stuart & Paula Barb
Tom Deputy
Kent & Becky Bontreger
The Corson Family Foundation
Tom & Sue Neat

"The Pioneers"
Ed & Mary Jo Beardsley
Raymond & Mary Pat Mathis
James W. Rieckhoff
Dale & Shelly Seely
Marie Smith
Janet Evanega


(574)-264-0330

(888)-287-7696


302 E. Beardsley Ave.

Elkhart, IN 46514

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