When he was 13 years old, J.R. Scott discovered the power of giving back when he experienced the generosity of his community. His dad had recently passed away, and his family was struggling. J.R. was involved in Boy Scouts, and wanted to become an Eagle Scout. To do so, he needed to attend summer camp, but their family didn’t have the resources to send him.
One day, J.R. went to the grocery store in his small town of Russellville, Indiana, and the store owner, Ethel, noticed J.R. looked sad and asked what was wrong. J.R. shared his story, and Ethel took it upon herself to raise the money from store visitors to send him to summer camp, and he was able to go on to become an Eagle Scout.
“I attribute everything I know about and have done in philanthropy to this one kind act,” said J.R.
J.R. also discovered his passion for aviation early in life, when another resident in town invited the Scott family to fly in his small plane. It wasn’t until he was an adult, though, that he started training to get his pilot license with the support of his wife, Ginger.
“Flying on a small plane is an experience that will be with you for a long time. We enjoy paying forward the experience to our community members, but the wonder on a child’s face when they fly for the first time is incomparable,” said J.R. “We love sparking that passion for youth. That’s why we decided to fund an aviation scholarship at the Putnam County Community Foundation.”
The J.R. & Ginger Scott Scholarship for Aviation is awarded to a resident of Putnam County pursuing a course of study in aviation, such as A&P mechanic, CFI flight instructor, pilot, aeronautical engineering, air traffic controller, and beyond.
The scholarship was selected as part of Putnam County Community Foundation’s Share the Dream program, which, in 2024, supported funds working toward endowment status by offering an added incentive through matching funding. The J.R. and Ginger Scott Scholarship for Aviation reached its fundraising goal and is now a permanently endowed scholarship fund.
“We always intended for the scholarship fund to become endowed, but not in our lifetime,” said Ginger. “We were over the moon when we learned we reached our goal, and we cannot express enough gratitude to PCCF and our generous donors. Because of their support, we’ve doubled the scholarship amount from $500 to $1,000, and we will be able to support those with a passion for aviation into perpetuity.”
See J.R. and Ginger’s story in the 2024 Annual Report.