Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Operation Read announced it has received a $13,000 grant from the Franklin I. and Irene List Saemann Foundation to support literacy programs serving children and families throughout Kosciusko County.
Established in 1993, the Franklin I. and Irene List Saemann Foundation was created to benefit Wartburg College and charitable organizations serving the Warsaw community. Over the past three decades, the Foundation has distributed nearly $20 million in grants supporting education, health care, libraries, volunteer programs, cultural initiatives and other charitable causes that have strengthened the community, according to a provided news release.
"We are deeply grateful to the Franklin I. and Irene List Saemann Foundation for its extraordinary generosity and longstanding commitment to literacy in our community," said DeeAnna Muraski, executive director of Operation Read. "This investment will help us continue providing books, educational resources and literacy opportunities that empower children and families to succeed."
According to the Foundation, its trustees voted in October 2024 to adopt a three-year plan to spend down its remaining assets, with final grant distributions scheduled for June 2027. As part of that process, this year's grants are larger than in previous grant cycles, allowing the Foundation to maximize the impact of its remaining charitable resources.
"While we are saddened that this remarkable foundation will conclude its work next year, we celebrate an incredible philanthropic legacy that has touched countless lives throughout our community," Muraski said. "Operation Read is honored to be among the organizations entrusted with carrying that legacy forward through our work."
The Franklin I. and Irene List Saemann Foundation was established following the death of Frank Saemann, founder of the Warsaw-based Orthopedic Equipment Company. Frank and Irene Saemann devoted their lives to philanthropy, creating a lasting legacy of generosity that has benefited organizations and individuals throughout the region for more than 30 years, the release states.
The $13,000 grant will help Operation Read continue its mission of encouraging the lifelong love of learning through reading by providing books, educational resources, tutoring and innovative literacy programs including Baby's First Library, Read to Grow, Operation Read Around Kosciusko County and Book Boogie, serving children and families throughout Kosciusko County.
For more information about Operation Read, visit www.operationreadusa.org or contact Muraski at deeanna@operationreadusa.org.
