McCoy Award Honorees · Past Winners

Rick and Sara Mershad | 2023

Rick and Sara Mershad have a long history of supporting the New Albany Community Foundation and other philanthropic initiatives in New Albany which have profoundly advanced lifelong learning, arts and culture, and health and wellness, key differentiators for our community. As far back as 2008, Sara and Rick established the Mershad Family Fund at the Foundation with a mission to incorporate the arts into STEM programming. Rick and Sara have evolved their philanthropic leadership over the years and their authentic engagement in the community serves as an example and inspires other to engage and make a difference. Sara’s passion for mental healthy advocacy and practicing meditation and yoga, with a focus on gratitude and staying present, prompted the Mershads to seek ways to share the health benefits they have witnessed with others. They were instrumental in providing transformative experiences for New Albany students and citizens with the legendary author and alternative medicine pioneer Deepak Chopra, MD, as well as the world-renowned yoga instructors, authors and integrative health advocates Colleen Saidman Yee and Rodney Yee. Rick and Sara’s desire to provide strong thought leadership, unwavering commitment and financial support over the past 25 years has helped establish community initiatives that are having great impact now and we expect will continue to do so well into the future.