Projects

Youth Leadership Highlands

The Mason G. Smoak Foundation is pleased to announce the formation of the Youth Leadership Highlands program, a year-long leadership program for selected high school students.  Students chosen for this program will spend several days throughout the school year learning about their leadership potential and about their community.  The program will target students not currently involved in specific leadership activities. 

“We believe encouraging our young leaders to know their community, know what is available to them in the future in Highlands County, and learning how they fit in as a contributing member of society is very important,” said David Summers, President of the Mason G. Smoak Foundation.

Each year, incoming high school sophomores from Highlands County will be selected to participate in the program.  The students will participate in a day-long leadership retreat to kick-off the year then will spend five days through the school year visiting businesses, government agencies, social service agencies, churches and other organizations to learn all they can about Highlands County. 

“It is our belief that every student has great worth and is able to make a positive impact on our community if they are equipped with the right tools,” said Tracee Smoak, a board member of the Smoak Foundation.  She continued, “Our goal is to inspire students to grow personally and academically toward their individual goals while at the same time instilling a great appreciation for Highlands County and the Ridge Area.”

To apply for the program, print out the Application Form pdf.

 

Grants

The Mason G. Smoak Foundation once again is proud to announce our Grant recipients for 2010. 2010 was yet another very blessed year for the foundation thanks to our very generous supporters.  We were able to help keep Mason’s legacy of local community involvement, youth, and helping to share Jesus Christ with others alive and well.

• Evangelism for Children
  Is a foundation that focuses on bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to children and their families in Puerto Veijo, Costa Rica.  This group provides children in the Puerto Viejo area with after school programs, summer camps, and many other exciting opportunities to learn about Christ.  Evangelism for Children is also working hard to grow their ministry beyond the Puerto Viejo region and help train locals to be children’s ministry leaders in their own communities. Through our Grant Program, the Mason G. Smoak Foundation was able to help provide much needed supplies for the children’s activities.

 

• Highlands Youth for Christ
  Is another exciting Christian youth program based in Highlands County Florida.  The Mason G. Smoak Foundation was excited to participate in this program for several reasons.  Mason personally was a great supporter of this program. 
  The Highlands County School system is one of the few left in the nation that allow some faith based organizations such as Youth for Christ to operate at the schools.  We feel that it is important to continue to carry on Mason’s legacy of supporting this program so that it has all the resources necessary to continue to work in our children’s schools.  Another exciting aspect of our grant contribution was that our monies were matched, dollar for dollar, by an anonymous donor within Youth for Christ!

 

• Manna Ministries
  Many of you may remember this program from last year.  The Mason G. Smoak Foundation sincerely appreciates what the Manna Ministries program does for children and families.  With their Christmas Store project, they continue to share God’s Blessings during the Christmas season by providing families who are financially struggling with the opportunity to select a toy(s) for their children, at no cost.  It is so moving to able to share the real meaning of giving gifts at Christmas with these children and families who otherwise might not have anything at Christmas.

 

• Samaritan’s Touch
  When our selection committee meets to review our grant applications, you can imagine that we have much discussion.  Trying to select the applications that best fit Mason’s legacy can be a little daunting because Mason was involved in many different areas.  One of Mason’s great characteristics was his sincere willingness to help people in need.    When the Samaritan’s Touch application was presented to our committee, it really stood out as something that exemplified what Mason was all about.   Samaritans Touch is a Christian Faith-based humanitarian organization that provides quality medical care to people who are struggling financially and have no medical insurance of any kind.  Their mission is “to share the Good News of Jesus Christ by extending his ministry to the needy hurting people in Highlands County.”  In addition to providing physical healing (right now), Samaritan’s Touch has a vision that includes the spiritual healing of Christ that will last for eternity. Our grant award went to help establish the Samaritan’s Touch Lake Placid facility scheduled to open early to mid 2011.
• Click here for 2009 Grant Projects

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Scholarships

2011 Results

It is such a blessing to be able to participate in our community by awarding these scholarships.  While mainstream media often focuses on all the problems in this world, it is evident by the many outstanding applications that we receive that our world’s future is indeed bright.  Our foundation takes a lot of pride in the fact that we are able to financially support and encourage these students with our award.  Our applicants are outstanding achievers, leaders, and hard workers in their schools, churches, and communities.  Many have overcome unimaginable obstacles and accomplished and exceeded what they set out to do in spite of those obstacles.  Selecting the right recipients is a challenging task for our selection committee and it only seems to get more difficult each year…what an AWESOME problem to have! 

Congratulations to the following students:

• Chynah Berry – Lake Placid High School
• Rachel Cope – Sebring High School
• Paizley Whidden – Avon Park High School

 

Chynah Berry with Edward Smoak

Rachel Cope

Paizley Whidden

We are very proud of our recipients’ accomplishments and more importantly, the outstanding character they exemplify.

 

2010 Results

The Mason G. Smoak foundation is proud to announce our 2010 Mason G. Smoak Foundation Scholarship recipients.

Congratulations to the following students:

• Sierra Weaver – Lake Placid High School
• Karley Freeland – Sebring High School
• Emily Lauver– Avon Park High School

Sierra Weaver

Karley Freeland

Emily Lauver

We wish these wonderful people the best as they pursue their education.

2009 Results

2009 Mason G. Smoak Memorial Scholarship 
Get Press Release (PDF)

Congratulations to the following students:

• Amy Brewington – Lake Placid High School
• Caleb McGee – Sebring High School
• Jerry Lee Wright – Avon Park High School

 

Landon Smoak, Tracee Smoak, Gabe Smoak and Amy Brewington

David Summers, Caleb McGee and Ed Smoak, Jr.

Tracee Smoak, Jerry Wright and Laura Barben

The Mason G. Smoak Foundation is very proud of these students and wishes them well in their college endeavors. They are the first of many youth we plan to support in the future.

 

 

 

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