Hudson-Ellis Fund Surpasses $2.7 Million Invested in Boyle County

Continuing a proud tradition of community investment, the Hudson-Ellis Fund, a charitable fund housed at Blue Grass Community Foundation, awarded a total of $172,742 to 24 nonprofits serving Boyle County. With this year’s awards, the total investment in Boyle County nonprofits and students has surpassed $2.7 million since the fund was created in 2001.

 Established through the generosity of Lottie B. Ellis, a lifelong Danville resident, the Hudson-Ellis Fund reflects her deep commitment to the community she loved. The fund has two functions: a discretionary grantmaking component that supports local and regional nonprofit organizations working to meet the needs of Boyle County residents, and a scholarship program that helps local students pursue higher education.

“Through the grants to nonprofits and the scholarship program, the Hudson-Ellis fund has touched countless lives across Boyle County,” said Shelley Bigelow, Chair of the Hudson-Ellis Advisory Board. “From supporting organizations that meet critical community needs to helping local students pursue higher education, these investments continue Lottie Ellis’s legacy of generosity and make a lasting impact in our community.”

This month, the Fund awarded grants to 24 nonprofits serving Boyle County residents. These grants will expand access to food, housing and emergency shelter, support early childhood education, and provide enrichment and life-skills programs for youth and adults with disabilities.

Recipients of the this year’s competitive grant awards are:

• Allegro Dance Project
• Best Buddies in Kentucky
• Bluegrass Council of the Blind
• Boyle County Habitat for Humanity 
• Boyle County Homeless Coalition
• Boyle County Schools
• Camp Horsin’ Around
• Danville Independent Schools
• Danville/Boyle County Happy Feet Equals Learning Feet
• Down Syndrome Association of Central Kentucky
• Family Services Association of Boyle County
• God’s Pantry Food Bank
• The Gladys Project
• Grace Café
• Hooves of Hope
• Kaden’s Cause
• The Kentucky Review of Art
• Kentucky School for the Deaf Charitable Foundation
• New Hope Food Pantry 
• Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass
• Pioneer Playhouse
• Pioneer Vocational Industrial Services
• Soups On Us 
• Special Persons Advocacy Network
  

 

Over the summer, the Hudson Fund awarded $45,000 in new and renewed need-based scholarships for graduates of Boyle County High School, Danville High School and Kentucky School for the Deaf. The 2025 Hudson-Ellis Vocational Skills and College Education Scholarship Recipients are:

• Laykin Gatton – graduate of Boyle County High School now attending Eastern Kentucky University
• Ella Gorley – graduate of Boyle County High Schools now attending Eastern Kentucky University
• Rylan Montgomery – graduate of Danville High School now attending University of Kentucky
• Tristan Viveros – graduate of Danville High School now attending University of Louisville

Individuals interested in supporting programming that increases the quality of life for Boyle County residents can make contributions directly to the Hudson-Ellis Fund at Blue Grass Community Foundation.