August Newsletter

In true OAR fashion, we had to make our first official newsletter a bit extensive. We have had so many great things happen, that we wanted to make sure to share with you. We extend our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support and generous contributions toward our causes. Your kindnesses ,donations, and dedication have made a profound impact, enabling us to continue our vital work and support countless lives. Thank you for being an essential part of our community. We hope that you are proud of what we have accomplished. However, we want you to know that we are committed to doing much more. As our motto states, “High Expectations, No Exceptions, No Excuses.” Together, we are making a difference and we are committed to being a vital part each year for our community.  - OAR Board Chairperson

Past Events

Casino Night 

Casino Night was our first official fundraiser for the OAR Educational and Mentoring Scholarship and it was a crowd-pleaser. We had more than 130 people in attendance.  It was held at the Optima Party Room in the Old Orchard Woods Complex, on March 9th.  Guests played Roulette, Blackjack, Craps and Texas Hold’em, using the (play) money and chips that came with the tickets. We enjoyed incredibly delicious appetizers catered by Chef Grady and his team. Other activities consisted of a silent auction, 50/50 raffle and raffled off giveaways for tickets to Chicago sporting events, fitness classes, car washes and much more.

OAR Board President Rob Pressoir said, “I am overwhelmed with pride and gratitude. For the first time in our 17-year history, we embarked on this fundraising journey, not just to gather resources, but as a celebration of our core mission and the visionary leadership that our founder, Oliver A. Ruff has established. His unwavering dedication to education and mentorship has been the guiding light of our organization. This event was not only a testament to his vision but also to the commitment and generosity of our donors, whose support is essential. The success of the evening went beyond financial goals; it raised awareness for our mentoring scholarship and reinforced the community spirit that underpins our work. Sharing this fun and significant moment with our donors and supporters highlighted the collective effort that makes our mission possible. I am incredibly proud of our team for exceeding expectations and laying the groundwork for what I hope will be many more successful events to come.” 

OAR Vice President Nathan Norman said, “One of the most exciting moments of the Casino Night event was witnessing the incredible energy in the room, as a diverse group of community stakeholders collaborate “in community” throughout the evening. It’s a whimsical experience.”

“Among the unexpected joys of coordinating our casino night fundraiser was witnessing the boundless generosity of our community, where every roll of the dice was a testament to our shared commitment to empowering students through scholarships,” added Rudy Meo, the organization’s treasurer. 

Mr. Ruff, who serves as chair, said, “The evolution and development of our journey has allowed a great number of ETHS graduates to benefit from your graciously charitable efforts.  For that, I am indeed grateful to everyone who has contributed in any way to support our scholars and this organization.  Our motto is: ‘High Expectation; No Exceptions; No Excuses.’ We are excited about our organizational growth and amazed with the testimonials regarding our influence in the lives of the recipients.  Our investment is worth all your support.”  

With the number of guests and amount raised, it exceeded expectations, at Casino Night, OAR was the big winner, said Mary Gavin (OAR Board Member) 

Casino Night afforded us success to the extent that we were able to increase our scholarship funding from $1,000/qualifying year to $1,500/qualifying year

Unity Tea

Unity Tea is an annual celebration ceremony that brings over a couple dozen Black Community Groups and Organizations together to recognize, award, and celebrate ETHS graduating seniors, with scholarships. Unity Tea was founded by C. Louise Brown, Yvonne Davis,  Helen Cromer, and Charlene Jones, who were friends that were committed to seeing their dream come to life. The first ceremony was held in 1985 at Second Baptist Church. We are grateful for their efforts, and honored to be a part of their continued legacy. This year's annual celebration was held on Sunday, June 9th at Mount Zion M.B Church. We were excited to award 9 scholarships to requalifying and new recipients. We are also delighted to share that our very own founder, Mr. Oliver A. Ruff was selected to be the Master of Ceremonies this year. 

For more detailed information on Unity Tea please visit the link here.

Honorary Street Naming

“Longtime Evanston educator Oliver A. Ruff’s legacy will live forever on Dobson Street, now also known as Oliver A. Ruff Way. Community members, elected officials, educators, family, clergy and more gathered on Dobson in South Evanston on Saturday, June 29, 2024 to honor Ruff, who has served in many capacities; such as a public school teacher, assistant principal and principal for 36 years. Hundreds sat along the street and poured onto the sidewalks as speakers made their way to a podium to herald Ruff’s tremendous impact on the Evanston community.” - Andrew Katz (Evanston Roundtable)

For the full Evanston Round Table article written by Andrew Katz, please visit the link here

Recent Events

Scholarship Awards Ceremony

On July 21st, we hosted an exhilarating event where we were able to honor 9 recipients. Please find their names listed below.

Nathan Campbell (Army National Guard/Illinois State University)

Massai Gentle (Fordham University)

Marie Honore (Notre Dame University)

Carmiya Bady (Howard University)

Agnes Bijole-Himes (Northwestern University)

Marcus Louis Charles (Northwestern University) 

Timothy Russell Jr. (Northwestern University)

Olivia Stevenson (North Carolina University A&T State University)

Stephen Warburton (Northern Illinois University)

Scholars, their families and community members came out to support in greater numbers than in past years. A former recipient's parent, JoAnn Avery, gave a motivational speech encouraging the scholars to take advantage of the OAR offerings. We also gave the attendees the opportunity to share comments about the impact of OAR in their lives, and their responses were heartfelt and inspiring. The ceremony was closed out by the process of assigning mentors to each recipient for support and guidance as they journey through this educational year. We were excited to inform the scholars that we would be increasing the scholarships due to the efforts of you, our amazing donors and supporters. We thank you, our supporters, from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity. We encourage you to pass the information about OAR along to your families, friends and colleagues. Please feel free to visit our website to find out more about our mission, upcoming events, and ways to donate.

How can I get involved and learn more? Visit our website oarscholarship.org to find out about upcoming events, contact us or donate.