Thomas and Martina Horn Foundation establishes $350,000 Permanent Endowment at BTC Foundation

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December 04, 2018
The Bellingham Technical College (BTC) Foundation recently received a $350,000 contribution from the Thomas and Martina Horn Foundation that will support student scholarships. This is the second largest contribution ever received by the BTC Foundation, which provides a variety of student scholarships and campus support as part of its mission to change lives by expanding access to quality education.
 
“For more than 20 years, the Horn Foundation has provided vital support to educational scholarships for thousands of local youth, capacity-building capital campaigns, ongoing funding for vital programs, and seed money for new and innovative programs in Whatcom County. This endowed scholarship will leave a permanent and profound legacy at BTC and will positively change the lives of students for many generations to come,” said Dean Fulton, Executive Director of the BTC Foundation.
 
Thomas Horn was a local businessman and philanthropist. After emigrating as a child from Germany to the United States, Mr. Horn began his career as a delivery boy in the Everett and Seattle areas. Through hard work and determination, he established Horn’s Department Store, his flagship store, in Bellingham, on Cornwall Avenue. Over 60 years, he grew his holdings to seven department stores throughout the northwest. Even at age 100, he continued to manage his real estate holdings and stock investments from his office in the Bellingham Herald building.
 
Upon Mr. Horn’s death, the Thomas & Martina Horn Foundation was created, in memory of Mr. Horn and his wife Martina, who preceded him in death in 1958. The mission of the foundation was to provide support for human services and offer scholarships to local individuals for postsecondary education. Since its inception in 1996, the foundation has distributed more than $6,000,000 to a diverse segment of not-for-profit organizations within Whatcom County.
 For more information, go to www.btc.edu/foundation
 
About Bellingham Technical College
 Bellingham Technical College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, and offers direct transfer degrees such as computer science, pre-nursing, and business, and two Bachelor of Applied Science degrees. BTC offers 38 associate degree and 61 certificate options providing professional technical education to support local and regional industry workforce needs. For more info, go to www.btc.edu.
For more news, events, and photos from the college follow us on www.facebook.com/bellinghamtech, www.twitter.com/bhamtechcollege and Photo: From left, BTC Foundation Direction Dean Fulton; Thomas and Martina Horn Foundation trustee Donna MacDonald; Nancy MacDonald; BTC President Kimberly Perrywww.instagram.com/bellinghamtechcollege