Best Hampton city Grants for Nonprofits in Virginia

The Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region

The Community Foundation is a devoted advocate for the vitality and well-being of the Rappahannock River Region. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that manages and distributes charitable giving in the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George, and Caroline, and the City of Fredericksburg.

Scholarships

One of The Community Foundation’s strategies for preserving and growing the quality of life in our region is supporting higher education for area students. Generous individuals and families, companies and organizations establish endowed scholarship funds and the proceeds from these funds benefit deserving students. Donors work with foundation staff to determine appropriate criteria for each fund. The Community Foundation currently administers more than fifty scholarship funds.

The Betty Booker Lontz Scholarship Fund

This scholarship fund was established in August 2013 by Betty Lontz, a life-long swimmer and devoted and beloved swim instructor. Growing up in Bon Air, Virginia, Betty’s parents collaborated with four other families to build the Bon Air Pool. By 5 years old, she was swimming with the Midgets – children several years older – rather than the Mites. By age ten, she was swimming on a National championship relay team and, though the expense of the trip prevented it, invited to the 1960 Olympics.

Betty began teaching swimming when she was 14 years old. She trained with the West Hampton College swimmers while in high school and took a job at the pool at The Homestead when she graduated. The late 1960’s found Betty at Fort Lee, Virginia teaching lifeguarding skills to returning Vietnam veterans preparing for the United States Special Services. It was there she met her first husband, Bill Lontz. Having been known to say, “If I can find a guy who can out swim me, I’ll marry him,” she was true to her word and married him after two dates. They were married 39 years until his death in 2007.

The young couple moved to Europe for two years, where Betty started another swimming program. On returning to Virginia and the Fredericksburg area, she was instrumental in establishing the pool at Curtis Park. Her well-known Fredericksburg Swim School business (originally called Country Swim School) began in 1975. Over the years, Betty taught swimming and water safety skills to more than 10,000 children -- including some who became Olympic caliber swimmers.

Betty Lontz passed away on November 5, 2015. She attributed her lifetime of swimming with her resiliency in the face of the genetic condition Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. “Wellness is my story,” said Betty. She believed that, “it’s just smart for people to stay healthy.” In the face of growing social issues that stem from illness, it just makes sense for people to preserve and grow an asset like physical health. On the individual, societal and global levels, the study of wellness is a key to vitality and well-being, including reducing costs to society. “Pathology is important, but promoting good health and preventing illness make so much sense.”

Each year, at least two $500 scholarships will be given to area graduating high school seniors.