SOMERSET – The Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) honored college benefactors at a recent Celebration of Philanthropy Awards dinner in Louisville. Hundreds of business people and dignitaries from across the Commonwealth attended the event, which provides an opportunity for KCTCS to honor leading individuals, businesses and foundations for their generous philanthropic and voluntary support to KCTCS. At the event, Somerset Community College (SCC) honored Ward Correll, in memoriam, for his support of the college and its mission.  
“Monetary gifts from Mr. Correll have greatly benefitted Somerset Community College,” said Cindy Clouse, director of institutional advancement at SCC. “Private and corporate giving is fundamentally important to the college. We provide many scholarships through those gifts, as well as fund new programs, buildings and initiatives. We sincerely appreciate each and every gift.”
Correll’s death in April, 2016 was widely felt in southcentral Kentucky.  Friends of Correll have remarked that from his humble beginnings as a boy growing up in Somerset, to his hard-to-match success in business as an adult, Correll remained dedicated to the Lord, his family and his community.
“He loved to help, whether it was through donations to establish Somerset’s waterpark and Cap Ripken ball fields, or through his great financial benevolence to numerous places of education, including his $100,000 unrestricted gift to Somerset Community College, or through the myriad of other ways he shared his blessings with others,” said Clouse. “We are grateful for Mr. Correll’s support of SCC students and to the Correll family for the opportunity to honor the memory of a wonderful man.”
This is the sixteenth year for this celebration that has honored 699 Kentuckians who, since 1998, have invested in the future by investing in KCTCS students. Since KCTCS was established, private giving has totaled $190 million. Over the same period, the endowment has grown from $12 million to nearly $52 million.