(January 4, 2024) Rockford, IL – ColinKurtis Advertising, a leading food, beverage and nutrition industry agency specializing in strategic branding and communication solutions, recently made a generous donation to the Charlie Bledsoe Endowment Fund. With donations from ColinKurtis, the fund has reached its long-term goal of raising $25,000, thereby establishing the Charlie Bledsoe Memorial Scholarship, a permanent fund ensuring sustained scholarships for Camp Invention® annually to the children of Charlie’s hometown, Mount Horeb, Wisconsin.
When Charles “Charlie” Bledsoe passed away in 2018 at age 10, his family chose to partner with the National Inventors Hall of Fame to honor his legacy. The scholarship nurtures curiosity and innovation in STEM fields for children in grades K-6 through access to Charlie’s beloved Camp Invention® program.
“Our family feels very fortunate to receive this support from ColinKurtis, helping us to reach our goal and offer children the opportunity to dream, learn and succeed at Camp Invention,” said Valette Piper-Bledsoe, Charlie’s mother and member of the ColinKurtis team. “Charlie was a creative thinker and was passionate about going to Camp Invention every year. We believe in providing equal opportunities for every child and the importance of supplying an environment where creativity and ingenuity can thrive. We are thrilled that this scholarship program will give the children in and around Mount Horeb the chance to unlock their potential with the same hands-on, confidence-building camp experiences that Charlie loved and was excited to be a part of every year.”
“We are incredibly proud to be a part of this meaningful and exceptional cause,” said Colin Kampmier, President, ColinKurtis Advertising. “It has been an honor to help the fund achieve its ultimate goal of $25,000, thus establishing the Charlie Bledsoe Memorial Scholarship which pays tribute to our dear friend, Charlie, and provides children access to enriching educational experiences at Camp Invention. Valette has been an integral member of the ColinKurtis team for many years. It has been an incredible mission to help keep her son’s inventive spirit alive through fostering innovation and STEM skills for the next generation of creators and entrepreneurs.”
Camp Invention, a National Inventors Hall of Fame program in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, is a leading K-6 STEM program that inspires creative problem-solving, teamwork, entrepreneurship and curiosity. This program also gives kids in grades 7-9 the opportunity to become Leaders-in-Training (LITs) and builds confidence, leadership, perseverance, resourcefulness and problem-solving skills, and encourages entrepreneurship—in a fun and engaging environment.
Camp Invention has been benefiting children in Mount Horeb since 2015. To donate to the Charlie Bledsoe Memorial Scholarship, visit https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/cbledsoefund or contact Olivia Wakeling, National Inventors Hall of Fame, at 330-437-7106 or owakeling@invent.org. For more information on ColinKurtis, please visit https://www.colinkurtis.com.
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About ColinKurtis Advertising
ColinKurtis Advertising, a Rockford, Illinois-based company, is a full-service advertising and design firm. The agency strives to provide both business-to-business and business-to-consumer clients with strategic marketing solutions delivered through solid creative direction and concise communication messaging.
About Camp Invention
Camp Invention is the only nationally recognized summer program focused on creativity, innovation, real-world problem solving and the spirit of invention. Through hands-on programming, Camp Invention encourages children entering kindergarten through sixth grade to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum inspired by some of the world’s greatest inventors. Camp Invention is a program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. This nationwide, nonprofit organization is committed to the curious minds and innovative spirits of the past, present and future. Since 1990, our education programs have served more than 2.2 million children, and 229,000 teachers and Leadership Interns. For more information, visit invent.org/programs/camp-invention.
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