State College, PA – Jan. 26, 2023 – Centre Foundation celebrated the end of the year and the conclusion of its 40 for 40 Campaign with an event called 40 for 40, A Forever Impact, where they announced Mac and Judy Rayback as the recipients of the annual Oak Tree Award.

The Oak Tree Award is presented to someone who has made a significant impact in the community through their work with Centre Foundation. The organization gives this award out to recognize community members who are involved with the Foundation and go above and beyond to serve the community.

“The Oak Tree Award is an opportunity for us to share our appreciation for our community members who do so much good for Centre County,” said Molly Kunkel, Centre Foundation’s President & CEO. “We would not be here if it were not for the support of our community, so we want to show our gratitude by presenting this award to a deserving member of our community each year.”

This year, Mac and Judy Rayback were named recipients due to their continued support of Centre Foundation over the years and their active involvement in the 40 for 40 Campaign.

Mac has been familiar with the Foundation since its beginnings and served on the Board for eight years. After being involved and supporting the organization for so long, Mac and Judy decided that Centre Foundation was the avenue they’d like to use to make an even bigger impact.

They took advantage of the 40 for 40 Campaign and opened five endowments to benefit Centre County nonprofits that have been important to them over the years. They include Centre County PAWS, ClearWater Conservancy, Mount Nittany Medical Center, Park Forest Preschool, and Schlow Centre Region Library.

“We wanted to put our money where our mouth is. We talked about it and decided that we could do it, and that’s why we opened [each of these] endowments in the same way. Those are organizations that have become important to us over the years. They can always use more long-term support,” said Mac.

Centre Foundation’s Oak Tree Award has not been presented since 2020 due to the pandemic but will continue to be an annual award moving forward.

For more information about how to get involved with Centre Foundation, please contact us at info@centre-foundation.org | 814-237-6229. For more information about the Foundation, visit our website and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Centre Foundation’s mission is to inspire and facilitate a culture of giving to create a vibrant community.