Clay Dean, Mattoon Area Community Foundation advisory board member and First Mid-Illinois Bank and Trust/First Mid Insurance Group representative; Sibyl Etchason, recipient of the Mattoon Area Community Foundation Outstanding Philanthropy Award, Tom Etchason, son of Sibyl and the late Carl Etchason.
The Mattoon Area Community Foundation advisory board is pleased to announce that it has named Sibyl Etchason as the 2017 Outstanding Philanthropist. The Community Foundation presents the award in recognition of the outstanding philanthropic achievements of individuals, families or organizations in Coles County.
Sibyl desired to honor the memory of her late husband, Carl, and his nearly 31-year teaching career at Mattoon High School with a scholarship in his honor. Carl Etchason graduated from EIU in 1957 and from 1958 until his retirement in 1989, he was a teacher of social studies and driver’s education, and was a school counselor.
Sibyl learned about the fundraising efforts of the Mattoon High School Alumni Scholarship, a fund of Mattoon Area Community Foundation, at the 2016 Hometown Event. Immediately, she knew this was the right way to honor her husband’s legacy as an educator. Her gift of $100,000 was made to the Mattoon High School Alumni Scholarship Fund and the first H. Carl Etchason Teacher Education scholarships were awarded this spring.
