Celebration of Community Spirit

Annually, the Foundation hosts a Celebration of Community Spirit dinner to thank people for their generosity of time and money. The Celebration is held on the first Thursday in November at Evergreen Federal Bank’s Bear Hotel. At the event, a local hero is presented with the Louis F. Schultz, Jr. Distinguished Service Award which honors outstanding individuals who have made significant and extended contributions toward building stronger and better communities in the area served by the Foundation. The award is named for longtime Grants Pass attorney, businessman, and civic leader Louis “Louie” Schultz, who was instrumental in establishing the Foundation and served on its board for many years. Schultz, born and raised in Oregon, came to Grants Pass in the early 1950s after graduating from Stanford Law School. He practiced law until his death in 2004.

As part of the annual award, the Foundation makes a $10,000 charitable contribution to a local non-profit organization(s) designated by the award’s recipient.