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A retirement celebration has become a lasting investment in local students. We are pleased to welcome the Pat & Jim Fitzgerald and Christie & Wes Smith Journalism Scholarship Fund to the Lapeer County Community Foundation family of funds.
The scholarship will be available to Lapeer County graduating seniors or post-graduates majoring in journalism, communication arts, or a related degree.
Established by longtime newspaper publisher Wes Smith, the fund honors a family whose work and dedication helped shape local journalism for generations. Jim Fitzgerald spent 20 years at The Lapeer County Press before becoming a nationally syndicated columnist at the Detroit Free Press. Wes’s late wife, Christie, worked as a typesetter and graphic artist, continuing the family’s connection to the newspaper business.
The idea grew from a special “Thank You Wes” newspaper section celebrating Smith’s retirement after 54 years with The County Press. A portion of the advertising revenue generated a $5,425 contribution. The Smith family matched that gift, and Rick and Jennifer Burrough added a generous donation, which established this pernanemly endowed fund.
For Wes, the scholarship fulfills a longtime dream of honoring his in-laws and late wife while helping the next generation pursue their education.
Through this permanent endowment, a tribute to decades of newspaper work will continue giving back to the community those families helped inform and connect. We are grateful to the Smith family, the Burroughs, and the advertisers whose generosity turned a celebration into a lasting legacy.
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