Administration

Dinner raises more than $255,000 for Renaissance scholarships

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State's 36th annual Renaissance Fund dinner raised more than $255,000 to endow scholarships in honor of community leaders and philanthropists, Ed and Charlene Friedman, this year's Renaissance Fund Honorees. Over 400 guests attended the Nov. 15 dinner at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.

The annual event raises money for Renaissance Fund scholarships, which are awarded to academically talented Penn State students who have great financial need. The dinners honor community leaders, and contributions are used to endow scholarships in their names. Since the Renaissance Fund's inception in 1969, the total endowment has grown to more than $10 million. To date, 393 scholarships have been awarded for the 2012-13 academic year. The Renaissance Fund announced the Friedmans as this year’s honorees in late August.

The Friedmans serve as the CEO and CFO, respectively, of the Friedman Real Estate Group in State College, Pa. They are also the founders and owners of Mountain Edge Alpacas, which the couple established in Boalsburg, Pa., in 1997.

Outside of their business lives and obligations, the Friedmans have supported and volunteered with many community organizations over the past 30 years. Together and independently, they have served in leadership positions with the Center for Performing Arts, State College Area Food Bank, the Centre County United Way, Smart Start-Centre County, the Downtown State College Improvement District, and the Centre County Community Foundation, among many others.

In addition, the Friedmans have also maintained a strong relationship with Penn State. They are members of the Laurel Circle and have served on various development and advisory councils for the College of Health and Human Development, assisted with all of the University’s capital campaigns and established two scholarships: the Edward A. Friedman Scholarship and the Nick Petnick Trustee Scholarship.

For more information about this year's Renaissance Fund Honorees, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/60886. To learn more about the Renaissance Fund program, contact Kathy Kurtz in the Office of Annual Giving at 814-863-2052.
 

Ed and Charlene Friedman are this year's Renaissance Fund Honorees. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated November 16, 2012

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