Bob Bridge

A young woman once asked Bob Bridge how a person knows when he or she has become an adult. It was a challenging question and Bob pondered it for a couple of days.

When the young woman called back, Bob gave her his answer, “As a child, I was selfishly interested in what gifts I would receive for Christmas. It was all about me. Then, one Christmas Eve, I experienced an epiphany of sorts. I felt compelled to reward my parents, who had been so sacrificial, with a very special gift.”

Bob purchased an elaborate and expensive entertainment center for his parents’ living room. Though, as a young man, he was still seeking financial stability, he wanted to show them his sincere appreciation for all they had done for him. One night just before Christmas while his parents were out, he set it up and had everything ready to go.

Bob shared about that experience, “The expression on their faces upon returning home that evening was priceless. Their joy was immeasurable. That’s when I became an adult.”

Bob had learned how much better it feels to give than to receive. It was a life-changing moment.

From that point forward, Bob would take his parents with him on vacations to Florida. The trips were full of fun and created many cherished memories. Bob became a minimalist and rather than thinking about what he might want, he sought opportunities to assist those around him. Bob found LCCF was the ideal organization to help him along this path. 

In 2004, Bob established the Bob Bridge Community Fund, an unrestricted endowment to support Lawrence County non-profits. As an unrestricted fund, the Bob Bridge Community Fund can help finance grants for a wide variety of non-profits and community needs and will do so for many years to come.  

“I am convinced beyond doubt,” Bob stated, “the Lawrence County Community Foundation is the optimum way for a person to support the Lawrence County community.”