Sara & Rick Mershad Receive 2023 Jeanne & John G. McCoy Community Service Award

NEW ALBANY, OHIO (December 1, 2023) – The New Albany Community Foundation’s 21st annual Remarkable Evening benefit was held on November 30 featuring George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States, interviewed by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and presidential historian Jon Meacham. The event also included the announcement of the 2023 Jeanne & John G. McCoy Community Service Award recipients, Sara and Rick Mershad.

The Jeanne and John G. McCoy Community Service Award was established by the Foundation in 2004 to recognize citizens who have made a significant impact in the community through their leadership, generosity and volunteerism. Through their philanthropy and significant community service throughout their lives in both New Albany and central Ohio, Jeanne and John G. McCoy embodied the spirit of this award and were the first to be honored with the distinction in 2004 when it was established in their name.

Rick and Sara Mershad have a long history of engagement and generosity in New Albany, especially in support of wellness, the arts and education.

“New Albany has given Sara and me so much opportunity and enriched our lives more than we could have expected when we moved here to raise our family,” Rick Mershad said. “We are grateful to be able to give back to this community that has blessed us so abundantly.”

The Mershad’s involvement with The New Albany Community Foundation has been a cornerstone of the organization’s pillars of lifelong learning, health and wellness, arts and culture and environmental sustainability. “Rick and Sara’s thoughtful philanthropy in support of so many community initiatives that enrich lives over the past 25 years has been extraordinary and we’re proud to recognize them with the 2023 Jeanne and John G. McCoy Community Service Award,” said Craig Mohre, president, The New Albany Community Foundation.

In 2008 the Mershads established the Mershad Family Fund at the Foundation with a mission to incorporate the arts into STEM programming. Gifts from the Mershad Family Fund have significantly advanced the New Albany pillars of health and wellness and arts and culture for the entire community.

They were instrumental in providing transformative experiences for area students and citizens with the legendary author and alternative medicine pioneer Deepak Chopra, MD, who kicked off the 2022 and 10th anniversary season of The New Albany Lecture Series, as well as world-renowned yoga instructors, authors and integrative health advocates Colleen Saidman Yee and Rodney Yee, bringing the creators of Urban Zen Integrative Therapy to New Albany in 2019.

Sara’s advocacy for mindful living and integrative health has heightened awareness and driven demand for programming particularly focused on children and young adults offered by Healthy New Albany and the Wellbeing Connection. They have personally hosted numerous mindfulness and Urban Zen based yoga retreats, including one focused specifically on cancer survivors, and supported children’s nature programming. Their support of the Wellbeing Connection has included hosting a fundraiser and supporting and hosting restorative yoga programs.

“I can say unequivocally that our community is happier and healthier because of the Mershad Family,” said Angela Douglas, Executive

Director of Healthy New Albany. “They are generous and authentically dedicated to helping others by supporting the wellbeing of our community. Their commitment also inspires so many others. What an honor it is to know and work alongside them in this effort.The Mershads have been active in supporting infrastructure and experiences to enriching the cultural fabric of New Albany and central Ohio. Their gifts have provided state of the art LED screens at both the McCoy Center for the Arts and the Charleen & Charles Hinson Amphitheater allowing both venues to provide high-quality programming and events, including the free family movie series, live music and art performances and thought-provoking discussions. A black box theater space in the McCoy became a reality through their generous support. Mershad Hall is one of the most used spaces at the McCoy each year for performances, rehearsals, student lecture programs, community meetings and much more.

“The New Albany Community Foundation has been instrumental in transforming our community for the better. The Foundation’s commitment to bringing people together and facilitating collaborative efforts is commendable. It has helped create a vibrant, culturally rich and health-conscious community that we are proud to be a part of,” the couple shared. “The McCoy Award is a tremendous honor and a humbling experience. It underscores the importance of community service and philanthropy in New Albany, and we are grateful for the recognition. The award inspires us to continue our efforts to make a positive impact on this remarkable community and its future.”

 

REMARKABLE EVENING, THE NEW ALBANY LECTURE SERIES

Funds raised from Remarkable Evening support the Foundation’s annual grantmaking to area not-for-profit organizations and other community projects and initiatives. Funds raised also support The New Albany Lecture Series, a leading lecture series presented by the Foundation that features distinguished diplomats, experts on foreign policy, national security, health, Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning authors, journalists and historians. In addition to community lectures, speakers have interacted with more than 33,000 students representing school districts across central Ohio.

Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $22 million in grants to advance lifelong learning, the arts, health and wellness and environmental sustainability. These grants are made possible through the support of generous donors and sponsors who contribute annually through Remarkable Evening or who have established endowment funds at the Foundation. Contributions have also helped make possible transformational projects like the New Albany Branch Library, the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, and the Charleen & Charles Hinson Amphitheater.

More than 700 people attended the Remarkable Evening benefit, which was held in The New Albany International Business Park.

Lead sponsors for this year’s Remarkable Evening included American Electric Power Foundation, Huntington, Van Trust, Greif, Meta, The New Albany Company, Nickolas Savko & Sons, Inc. and Turner.

More information can be found at newalbanyfoundation.org.

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The New Albany Community Foundation and its donors are working together to build an extraordinary community. The Foundation develops collaborative partnerships and invests in transformational projects that benefit all residents and contribute to the greater good: developing a community of lifelong learning, the arts, health and wellness and environmental sustainability. By championing forward-thinking initiatives, the Foundation and its donors have already had a significant positive impact.