Her name was Esther H. Ludwig and she is our "Person of the Year." She liked to play basketball in her youth, she died at age 99 in August 2005, and she  gave $20 million dollars to a scholarship fund for students in the Hamburg School District.  She amassed her fortune in part by raising thoroughbred race horses, and through investments and inheritance. The fund will provide scholarship aid  for students who want to go to college, trade school, or the seminary.  $500,000 is available for the first year.  Hamburg has about 180 seniors who will graduate and become eligible in 2006.
  Awards made through this fantastic scholarship fund can be applied to the cost of tuition, room, board, books and supplies, and other school-related fees.  Amounts  will vary, but will be substantial, and will be available for as many as four years.  The Reverend James Seifert, pastor of St. Luke's Church of Christ in Shoemakersville said, 'It's the greatest thing ever to happen to Hamburg."
  Alfred Nobel left a fortune amassed by inventing dynamite to provide the world-famous Nobel Prizes. First awarded in 1901, the Nobel Prize is still the most honored in the world. In the mid 1960's, Ewing Marion Kauffman  the owner of the Kansas City Royals baseball team created a $70 million program to provide inner city Kansas City youth with financial help for their education. The interest from these  fortunes provide the prizes and financial help much the same as the Ludwig fortune will provide  scholarships for students who graduate from the Hamburg School District.  Home values should also rise as you might think parents would want to move into this school district to take advantage of this residential perk.  But the main thing is that this new found financial aid will probably make higher education available to many students who previously had no chance for help.  Usually those who were exceptional athletes, those with very high grades and SAT scores or those who came from families who qualified  for financial aid received most of the help.  Now the door can be opened for numerous others.  This is why Esther H. Ludwig is our person of the year!  Think what a better place the world would be if more people like Nobel, Kauffman, and Ludwig reached out financially and offered what many young people do not have-hope for their future!
 

 (Information credit,  Reading Eagle, 12/12/05, Mike Trask)
For our 2004 person of the year, go HERE