Generosity is often learned at home. Across Frederick County, families pass down more than traditions; they pass down a commitment to community. At The Community Foundation of Frederick County, we see these values carried from one generation to the next, sometimes beginning with a parent’s founding gift and sometimes with a child’s first act of giving.
A Reason to Come Home
Judge William and Lila Wenner
Judge William and Lila Wenner were long-term Brunswick residents who cared deeply about their community and wanted to see it thrive well into the future. In 1993, they created The Brunswick Area Fund with the Community Foundation to support community services and projects in Brunswick. Over its lifetime, the fund has granted more than $30,000 to local organizations, including Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership (SHIP), YMCA of Frederick County, and The Safe Ride Foundation.
Today, their children, Eleanor and Peter, carry that commitment forward. Though they no longer live in Frederick County, both continue to add to the fund their parents established. Because the fund is a permanent endowment, it grants to Brunswick organizations every year while growing to serve the community for generations to come.
“By supporting The Brunswick Area Fund, I’m not only carrying on my parents’ legacy, but it helps me connect to my hometown,” Eleanor says. “It gives me a reason to reconnect with the place I grew up that I deeply love.”
Values That Take Root
Larry J. Grossnickle
Larry J. Grossnickle was a farmer with a tireless work ethic, a great sense of humor, and a deep belief in the value of education.
“Dad loved farming and also felt that education was very important,” says his son, Andrew Grossnickle. “He encouraged my sisters and me to be involved in lots of different activities to become well-rounded people.”
To honor those values, Andrew created The Grossnickle Family Scholarship Fund in 2012. The fund supports students studying agriculture and those raised on a farm who are pursuing post-secondary education. It has awarded nearly $40,000 in scholarships to students across the county. Andrew says his father would be thrilled to know it is helping educate future farmers, veterinarians, and others in agriculture.
Andrew and his wife talk openly with their children about giving back, and those conversations have taken hold. “One of the coolest moments so far for me as a parent was when I was explaining to my son what the scholarship was and how it worked,” Andrew says. His son, about six at the time, asked if he could donate to the fund. “That year he brought $10 of his own money to the scholarship reception to donate.”
Spreading Light
Simon Turner
Brent and Talia Turner founded The Simon Turner Memorial Fund in memory of their son, Simon, to support positive impacts on children’s lives in Frederick County. Simon, who passed away in March 2019 at just 22 months old, loved water play and was drawn to Carroll Creek and the 7th Street Fountain. Today, the fund is raising support for The Splash PoinT at Baker Park, a planned inclusive splash pad that will give families a place to play, laugh, and connect. The capital S and T in its name honor Simon Turner.
For seven years, that project has been part of family life for Simon’s brother, Elliott. The Turners also
Elliott Turner heading to lacrosse practice.
make giving a tradition. After Elliott learned about Tzedakah, the Hebrew concept of charity, they made the seventh night of Hanukkah “Charity Night.” Instead of opening a gift, each child chooses a cause that matters to them and a local charity that supports it.
Eight-year-old Elliott, who plays basketball and lacrosse, chose to help other kids play sports. “It feels good,” he says. “I’m helping to give kids a chance to play sports that otherwise wouldn’t have it.”
Asked whether Simon’s legacy shaped his generosity, Elliott, a man of few words, said simply that giving back feels normal. He has grown up hearing his family talk about making a real impact and bringing people together.
The Next Generation
For 40 years, the Community Foundation has helped Frederick County families turn their values into lasting good. Whether it begins with a founding gift, a $10 donation, or a night of Hanukkah, these families show that a culture of philanthropy is built one generation at a time. Parents model generosity, children pass it forward, and permanent funds ensure that care continues long after the first gift is made. As the Community Foundation looks ahead to its next 40 years, the next generation of givers is already growing up among us.