The R.K.Laros Foundation Awards $194,300 in Grants for 2019

The Laros Trustees spent the day on Tuesday January 21st and Wednesday January 22nd, 2020 presenting grants approved for Bethlehem non profits at their 2019 Annual Meeting held October 25th.

Laros Foundation Vice Chair Laura Bennett Shelton presents grant to CACLV Executive Director Alan Jennings.

Trustee George Mowrer joins Vice Chair Laura Bennett Shelton to award a grant to CACLV leader Alan Jennings and his team for current pending repairs and renovations at the Forte Building. L-R Laros Trustee George Mowrer, CACLV Maria Gonzalez, CACLV Executive Director Alan Jennings, Laros Vice Chair Laura Bennett Shelton, and CACLV’s Dawn Godshall and Bethany DiMatteo.

At Stephen’s Place Vice Chair Laura Bennett Shelton and Trustees George Mowrer and Ron Madison present the grant to Sister Virginia and Stephen’s Place Program Coordinator Sherman Myers to support an inspired kitchen, dining area renovation that will create a much needed space for the community to gather to cook and enjoy meals together.

Stephen’s Place Founder Sister Virginia Longcope receives grant from Laros Trustee George Mowrer.

L-R New Bethany Ministries Executive Director Marc Rittle, Board Members Gary Carney and Roy Gruver. Laros Vice Chair Laura Bennett Shelton, New Bethany Ministries Board Member Robert Wisser, New Bethany Ministries Development Director Sandra Bieber and Laros Trustee Ron Madison presenting the grant supporting bathroom renovations for long term residents. New Bethany’s winter coat drive is in full swing!

Grant Presentation at the Fab Lab for Green ST2E2aM. The grant will support teaching supplies for boat building to disadvantaged youth. L-R Laros Trustees Elizabeth Shimer Bowers, and Ron Donchez, Green ST2E2aM Founders Greg Zahm and Michael Brolly.

Laros Foundation Trustees Ron Donchez and Ron Madison present the Laros grant in support of the installation of a generator for Victory House to Victory House Executive Director Pat Diluzio (center).

L-R Kate Cohen Chief Development Officer for the Greater Valley YMCA. Laros Trustee Ron Donchez, Bethlehem Branch Executive Director Tiffany Henning, Greater Lehigh Valley YMCA CEO David Fagerstrom, and Laros Trustee Diane Donaher at the Bethlehem Y. Trustees presented a grant supporting the planned Child Care Center renovations at the Bethlehem location. An oil portrait of R.K.Laros painted by local artist Tom Burke hangs behind the presentation. Certainly R.K., who was chair of the building committee for the Bethlehem Y in the early 1950’s would approve!

Greater Lehigh Valley YMCA CEO David Fagerstrom receives Foundation grant award from Laros Trustee Diane Donaher.

Good Shepherd Bethlehem leadership and pediatrics staff receiving a grant in support of pediatric ventilators for the Bethlehem campus from Trustee Ron Donchez. L-R Dr. Kimberly Kuchinski, Amanda L. Kleckner, PT, DPT, Trustee Ron Donchez and Sheri Luther, Pediatric Respiratory Manager.

Laros Trustees presenting the Bethlehem Public Library grant on 1.22.20 in support of the HD portrait commission. The portrait, honoring local author and poet H.D. (Hilda Doolittle), will be unveiled at a ceremony on February 1st, 2020 and hang in the main branch of the library. The grant comes with special thanks form the Foundation for Library Director Josh Berk’s assistance with an ongoing Laros project.

L-R BAPL Board of Trustees Chair Anne Felker, Laros Trustee Elizabeth Shimer Bowers, BAPL Executive Director Josh Berk and Laros Trustee Ron Madison.

Trustee Laurie Hackett presenting the Laros grant supporting the replacement of aging HVAC equipment at Touchstone Theatre. Accepting the grant for Touchstone are Co Founder Bill George and Managing Director Lisa Jordan. Waiting faithfully while basking in the winter sun is four month old Tully Hackett:)

Laros Trustees present Moravian College’s grant to repair and replace the storm windows protecting the 125+ year old Borhek Chapel stained glass windows in Comenius Hall.

L-R Laros Foundation Trustee Laurie Hackett, Moravian College President Bryon Grigsby, Laros Foundation Vice Chair Laura Bennett Shelton, Robert Breckenridge Executive Director of Development, Corporate, Foundation and Government Relations and Laros Foundation Trustee Robert Bilheimer.

Laros Trustees Laurie Hackett and Ron Madison present The Friends of Bethlehem Police Diane Mack with a grant to support the building of an annex for equipment and a community room.

Bethlehem Police Mounted officers flank the presentation. L-R Ofcr. Albert Strydesky and his partner George, Ofcr Mike Leaser, Laros Trustees Laurie Hackett, and Ron Madison, Friends of Bethlehem Mounted Police Board Chair Diane Mack. and Ofcr Danko and partner Asa!

R.K.Laros Foundation Trustee Robert Bilheimer was pleased to present the Charter Arts grant with R.K. and Helen Laros’ great grandson, Larson Laros. The award was presented with the Laros annual Founders Award in honor of Charter Arts CEO Diane LaBelle’s service and upcoming retirement. The foundation was pleased to honor Diane’s vision and commitment to expand the classroom and connect Charter Arts students to the Southside and to the larger Bethlehem Community and to bring that same community into their Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon school.

Laros Foundation Proud to Support ArtsQuest Capital Campaign

The Laros Foundation has been a proud supporter of inspired ArtsQuest initiatives since 1995. The Foundation most recently supported the current Capital Campaign with a gift for the restoration and renovation of the historic Turn and Grind Shop. Chair R.Keller Laros III and Vice Chair Laura Bennett Shelton were recently interviewed for ArtsQuest’s Capital Campaign video.

Foundation Vice Chair Laura Bennett Shelton interviewed at Arts Quest October 23, 2019

Chair R,K. Laros III interviewed at ArtsQuest October 23, 2019

1995 at the future site of Bethlehem’s ArtsQuest R.K.Laros III

L-R Laros Foundation Trustee R.K.Laros III, Chairman Dr. R.K.Laros, Jr. and Trustee and Former Bethlehem Mayor Gordon Mowrer

New Bethany Ministries Announces Grant from the R.K.Laros Foundation

From the New Bethany Ministries Winter Newsletter

“New Bethany Ministries has received a $32,500 Grant from the R.K Laros Foundation. The R.K. Laros Foundation has been a donor of New Bethany Ministries for over 24 years donating more than $325,000 since 1996 to fund various capital projects and programs throughout the organization. The Foundation has a strong commitment to the Bethlehem Community. The Laros Foundation mission statement states Our goal is to provide grants to non-profit charitable organizations, where those grants will either seed or support programs that might not otherwise occur. We focus on initiatives that will have a continuing benefit to the community and the people it serves. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, we truly appreciate all the generosity and support you have given over the past 24 years.”

Pictured from left to right: Elizabeth Shimer Bowers- R.K. Laros Trustee, R.K. Laros III- Foundation Chair, George Mowrer R.K. Laros Trustee, Tina Sargent - New Bethany’s Controller, Sandra Bieber- New Bethany’s Director of Development & Communications, Veronne Demesyeux- New Bethany’s Operations Manager, Laura Bennett Shelton - R.K. Laros Vice Chair, Marc Rittle, New Bethany’s Executive Director, Ann Laros Weaver- R.K. Laros Trustee & Sharon Zondag, R.K. Laros Foundation Executive Director

Laros Foundation Announces Associate Trustee Program

Janelle Laros Lehigh University ‘21

Truman Shelton Lehigh University ‘21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE R.K. LAROS FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES ASSOCIATE TRUSTEE APPOINTMENTS

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-January 6, 2020

The Bethlehem based R.K.Laros Foundation, established in 1952 by Laros Silk Mill Founder and Owner R.K.Laros and his wife Helen to support the non profit community in Bethlehem Pennsylvania, is pleased to announce the establishment of the Associate Trustee program and the appointment of two Associate Trustees. 

Chairman R.Keller Laros III and the Board of Trustees of the R.K.Laros Foundation have instituted a category of trusteeship titled “Associate Trustee.” The board seeks to involve future generations in the work of the foundation through first hand exposure to the art and science of grantmaking. The Associates will participate directly in foundation community work and the annual grantmaking process. Up to two family members and one community member may serve in this capacity at any given time. Through his/her work on the Board, the Associate Trustee will develop a deeper knowledge of grantmaking practices and program evaluation. It is hoped that the participation of an Associate Trustee will reinforce his/her commitment to community involvement, deepen relationships with trustees and with members of the Bethlehem non-profit community.

The first two appointments to the position of Associate Trustee are Janelle Laros, and Truman Bennett Shelton both great grandchildren of R.K. and Helen Laros. Janelle and Truman are members of the Class of 2021 at Lehigh University and have actively participated in the R.K.Laros Foundation community based work since 2018. 

R.K.Laros III Chairman R.K.Laros Foundation and Hawaiian Manta Man

R.K.Laros III leading a dive with Jack’s Diving Locker Kona, Hawaii

Laros Foundation Board Chair and grandson of the Laros Foundation founders, R.K. and Helen Laros, recently appeared in the magazine of Hawaiian Airlines, Hana Hou, in an article titled “The Manta Man of Kona”. Keller and his wife Wendy are longtime residents of Kona, Hawaii and leaders in the effort to protect our endangered Manta population. Keller is quoted in the article that follows as saying “I want to create a future where my grandchildren can swim with manta rays, so we have to be smart, diligent and keep going. I dream about mantas all the time. They’re always trying to lead me somewhere.”

Enjoy this fascinating undersea journey to better understand Keller and Wendy’s world in the article that follows.

https://hanahou.com/22.4/the-manta-man-of-kona

October 25th 2019 Named R.K.Laros Foundation Day

At the October 25th, 2019 reception at the Laros Estate in Bethlehem honoring 100 years of Community Partnerships in Bethlehem, William Karras Alexander Chief of Staff to the Honorable Mayor Donchez presented a Proclamation making the day R.K.Laros Foundation Day. Leadership representing the top twenty non profit organizations receiving Foundation grant support since 1952 attended the reception hosted by Foundation Vice Chair Laura Bennett Shelton at her home with the Laros Foundation Chair R.Keller Laros III and the Trustees.

R.K.Laros Trustee and Vice Chair Laura Bennett Shelton wins Emmy at Mid Atlantic Regional Award Ceremony September 28, 2019

On Saturday night September 28, 2019 in the category of Public/Current/Community Affairs- Special Programs Associate Producer Laura Bennett Shelton joined Executive Producer Teri Haddad, Lisa Robinson Editor and Lead Videographer Steven Whitcombe to receive their Emmy Award for “Close to Home: Human Trafficking”.

Congratulations Laura from the R.K.Laros Foundation!

L-R Steve Whitcombe, Laura Bennett Shelton, Teri Haddad and Lisa Robinson

Longtime R.K.Laros Foundation Trustee, Gordon Mowrer, honored posthumously by District Attorney Morganelli

Grant to establish award in honor of late Bethlehem mayor issued October 2019

Gordy Mowrer Mayor of Bethlehem 1974-1978 Acting Mayor 1987

By Kayla Dwyer

The late Bethlehem Mayor Gordon B. Mowrer was known to ride along with police on occasion during his tenure in the 1970s — if not in an actual police vehicle, then in his own black Pontiac station wagon equipped with a police radio, one spotlight and a siren.

Folklore says he would sometimes participate in arrests, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli recalled Monday as Mowrer’s family chuckled.

“He was not afraid to use that siren,” son George Mowrer said. “Usually it was on a bicyclist who went through a red light.”

Mowrer, who died in 2016, was a staunch advocate of community policing. Morganelli, who volunteered for Mowrer’s campaign as a 14-year-old, said he wanted to honor that before leaving office in three months.

On Monday, his office presented a $2,000 gift to Bethlehem’s Fraternal Order of Police, which will start a fund to honor one Bethlehem police officer each year for their contribution to community policing with the Gordon Mowrer Community Policing Award.

That officer will select a charity to be a recipient of the award money.

“Community policing is a term that’s often cited but not always understood, even by law enforcement ourselves,” FOP President Bill Audelo said at Monday’s news conference.

Under Mowrer, Bethlehem became the first Pennsylvania city to adopt a system of “team policing,” in which the department divided into three teams that handled different geographic sections of the city, Morganelli said.

The idea, he said, is that officers would better be able to get to know their constituents, and build better trust and reduce crime.

It’s an idea that has gone by different names over time, Bethlehem police Chief Mark DiLuzio said, including neighborhood policing, team policing and community policing.

But the concept lives on in Bethlehem today, he said, through walking beats, substations, the mounted and bike programs, and through a continued effort to assign the same officers to the same districts.

It’s knowing people, business owners, even criminal offenders on a first-name basis, DiLuzio said.

That consistency is what is necessary to effect change in crime, Audelo said.

“The heart of community policing is recognizing not just the criminal acts affecting a community but the underlying causes and symptoms that create an environment for the offender,” he said.

The FOP will manage the award and its annual funding.

Morning Call reporter Kayla Dwyer can be reached at 610-820-6554 or atkdwyer@mcall.com.

Gordy Mowrer was a Trustee of the R.K.Laros Foundation from 1986-2012

R.K.Laros Foundation Hosts Reception for Oral History Project in Partnership with the Industrial Archives and Library at National Museum of Industrial History

L-R Margorie Mainhart, Mrs. David Jones, David Jones, Norman King Jr., Judy King Molder with Marge Tarola (seated)

On May 22, 2019 several trustees for the R.K.Laros Foundation gathered at the National Museum of Industrial History with Marge Tarola, a past employee of the R.K.Laros Silk Mill on Broad Street in Bethlehem Pennsylvania. Recently interviewed as part of the Laros Oral History project in partnership with the Industrial Archives and Library, Marge began her career with Laros in 1946 at the corporation’s “Learner School” where she learned to sew. In 1954 Marge became a zig zag operator.The descendants of Laros employees Norman King and Roland Jones also joined the gathering to meet Marge. Their fathers both played important roles in her time with Laros.

Marge is second from left and has donated this photograph to the Laros collection at the Industrial Archives and Library.Laros Industries was founded in the summer of 1919.

Marge donated the 8” x 12” photograph of the sewing floor from the Laros Silk Mill on Broad Street during the reception. Marge is in the photograph second from left. After the photograph was taken, all employees received a copy and she has treasured her copy for almost 70 years. The photograph will be part of the Laros Collection at the Industrial Archives and Library.

Foundation Vice Chair Laura Bennett Shelton and Marge Tarola

Trustee Elizabeth Shimer Bowers and Marge Tarola

Norman King, Robert Bilheimer Laros Trustee and IAL Director and Marge Tarola

Laros Foundation Executive Director Sharon Zondag with Laros box donated to NMIH, Marge Tarola and her daughter Marjorie Mainhart

The Laros Foundation Receives Donation of 1926 Laros Volume "SILK"

Christina Saunders of Christina’s Fabulous Finds has donated a pristine volume of the book “Silk”. The book published in 1926 by the R.K.Laros Silk Company of Bethlehem Pennsylvania tells the story of the Origin of Silk and the path taken by silk as it traveled from the silkworm to the silken thread used by the manufacturers in the United States at that time. “From a variable animal product it is transformed into one of determinable and dependable uniformity.”

A special thank you to Christina and her interest in preserving this beautiful volume for the Laros Family and Foundation!

R.K.Laros Foundation Trustees Presents Grant to Truth for Women

R.K. Laros Gives Grant Support

PHOTO L-R: TFW Board Vice-Chairman Mark Sessanta, RKLF Trustee Laurie Gostley Hackett, RKLF Vice Chair Laura Bennett  Shelton, TFW Case Manager Chris Zweifel, RKLF Secretary George Mower. Photo Credit: RKLF Executive Director Sharon Jones Zondag

Truth for Women writes “On March 13, 2019, the R.K. Laros Foundation, Inc., a non-profit charitable trust, presented Truth for Women with a $4,000 check to install soundproof doors to the office and the counseling room of the Truth Home. These doors are more than pieces of lumber; they are privacy providers. The women we serve have had their privacy invaded and violated in the most horrible ways. By funding these doors, the R.K. Laros Foundation is restoring the privacy they deserve. On behalf of the women who will benefit, we thank the R.K. Laros Foundation for working together with us to make a lasting impact!”

Laros Foundation Launches Wikipedia Page

The R.K.Laros Foundation is proud to announce the establishment of the R.K.Laros Wikipedia page as of 3.18.19. Authored by great granddaughter Elizabeth Shimer Bowers the Wikipedia page shares the story of R.K. and Helen Laros, the Laros Corporation, the Laros family and their philanthropy.

Bethlehem Public Library Moves Forward with the Bob Cohen Room

Construction is Starting!

Pardon our dust, excuse the noise, and join us in celebrating the next phase of the Main Library renovations at BAPL! As of today, construction is underway on the Bob Cohen Room! This room is on its way to becoming a concert venue and multi-use space that will host lectures and meetings and plays and art galleries and all sorts of uses not yet imagined. This room will honor the memory of Library Board member, donor, and dear friend Bob Cohen.

Contributors to the project have included the Cohen Family, The Laros Foundation, Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary, Bethlehem Rotary Club Foundation, The Reidler Foundation, Northampton County Department of Community & Economic Development, and The Friends of the Library, as well as many anonymous and individual donors. We couldn’t do it without your support! (And if you’d like to contribute, you still can–donate securely online today!)

See the concept illustrations below provided by Cornerstone Consulting. Construction is expected to take approximately six months. See you in the summer, Cohen Room!

This multi-use space honoring Bob Cohen will host lectures and meetings and plays and art galleries and all sorts of uses not yet imagined.

The R.K. Laros Foundation is pleased to support this project to continue to be a part of the Bethlehem Public Library’s efforts to create, support and sustain community.

Grants Support 8 Organizations Monday, February 11, 2019 by The Press in Local News

The Bethlehem based, R.K.Laros Foundation, established in 1952 by Laros Silk Mill Founder and Owner R.K.Laros and his wife Helen, announces the annual award of grants to 8 local non-profit organizations.

Grants were awarded to the following nonprofit organizations: ArtsQuest, $25,000 to support their current capital campaign and specifically the restoration of the Turn and Grind Shop honoring ArtsQuest founder and visionary Jeff Parks; Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, $15,000 for outside repair of the Forte Building on Southside Bethlehem; Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley, $20,000 to install an ADA compliant handicapped ramp at the Senior Center and honoring longtime Hispanic Center leader and SLUHN Physician Dr. Bonnie Coyle; Northampton Community College, $30,000 for the current capital campaign renovations to the Fowler Campus and the creation of a Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Northeast Ministries, $35,000 for the installation of a comprehensive security system; St. Luke’s University Health Network, $20,000 for the addition of an anatomage table; Touchstone Theatre, $2,500 for the replacement of an HVAC system; Lehigh University, $35,000 to support the current preservation and renovations of University Center and the establishment of an annual Entrepreneurship Award honoring Foundation founder R.K.Laros. Foundation Trustees presented the grants throughout January 2019.

The R.K. Laros Foundation provides grant support with a focus on enduring capital projects with community impact in the Bethlehem Area. Grant proposals will be accepted September 10 - September 24th in 2019. Grant applications are available on the foundation website www.larosfoundation.org.

R.K. LAROS SILK COMPANY Keeping the story from slipping away

Monday, February 11, 2019 by The Press in Local News

The R.K.Laros Foundation and the Industrial Archives and Library hosted a reception for the participants of the Laros Oral History Project made possible by a collaboration with the IAL. The Laros Foundation Chair, Vice Chair and Trustees attended the November 7th 2018 event.

The R.K.Laros Silk Mills Operated from 1919 to 1957 in Bethlehem and Kingston, Pennsylvania

The R. K. Laros Foundation and the Industrial Archives and Library hosted a joint reception at the Industrial Archives and Library to thank the nearly 30 individuals who have participated in the organizations’ joint Laros Oral History Project and to provide an interim report on the results of the Project to date.

Launched in March 2017, The Laros Oral History Project is documenting the history and impact of the R. K. Laros Silk Company on the Lehigh Valley community from the perspective of the everyday lives of employees and their families.

Born in Easton, Pa., and rising from very humble origins, Russell K. Laros founded the R. K. Laros Silk Company in Bethlehem in 1919, building it into a highly successful and leading American silk manufacturer. Initially focusing on the production of raw silk and then ladies’ undergarments, Laros – always the innovator – shifted production to parachutes and a pioneering synthetic blood plasma product during the Korean War years, called Plavolex.

Laros passed away in 1955 and the company was sold in 1957, ultimately operating under the Sure-Fit name.

“Unfortunately, over time, the Laros story is slowly beginning to slip away,” said Sharon Jones Zondag, executive director of The R. K. Laros Foundation and co-manager of the Laros Oral History Project. “The goal of this project is to get as much of the Laros legacy on the record before it is completely lost to time.”

Speaking on behalf of the project team, Robert Bilheimer, co-manager and producer/director for the project, thanked the project participants and provided an interim report on the project’s progress to date and its initial findings.

“Since March 2017, we have completed a total of 18 audio and videotaped interviews of 27 separate interviewees, or narrators as they are called,” he reported. “That has included former Laros Silk Company employees, family members of former employees, Laros family members and R. K. Laros Foundation Trustees. We are in the process of scheduling additional interviews into 2019.

“While the project is far from being completed,” Bilheimer said, “a consistent and clear picture is emerging of R. K. Laros as a caring, compassionate and innovative individual, who was deeply committed to his employees and his community and who built a very progressive company that fostered an unusually close-knit company culture among its employees.

“The company was also an anchor to its East Bethlehem community and was perhaps second only to Bethlehem Steel in shaping and influencing the most individual lives and families in the Greater Bethlehem area during the first half of the 20th Century,” he added.

Bilheimer is also Industrial Archives and Library general manager and a R. K. Laros Foundation trustee.

Rounding out the Project Team in addition to Zondag and Bilheimer is lead Interviewer and fellow R. K. Laros Foundation trustee Diane Donaher.

The Laros Oral History Project is a collaboration between The R. K. Laros Foundation and the Industrial Archives & Library. The foundation owns the interview recordings and materials and helps publicly promote the project and identify and recruit potential interviewees. The Industrial Archives & Library produces and directs the interviews and permanently houses the resulting recordings and transcriptions and coordinates their availability for public research.

“Through this Project, we are hoping to gain a much more thorough and richer understanding of the R. K. Laros Silk Company and fill in some of the gaps of knowledge that are widening as the Laros story begins to fade from the community’s collective memory,” Zondag said. “But we are still looking to the community for help. The project is gathering momentum, but we are certain there are wonderful untold stories out there that we will want to capture that will help round out the Laros story before this project comes to a close.

“So, as we look to wrap up the project sometime in 2019,” she said, “we invite anyone with any knowledge they might have about the Laros Silk Company, R. K. Laros or the Laros family to come forward and contact me to share their story. Whether you might be a former employee, a family member of a former employee or just an individual who has some information of interest, your participation will be much appreciated.”

Zondag can be reached by telephone at (610) 390-6016, or via email at larosfoundation@gmail.com.

Article courtesy the R.K. Laros Foundation

The R.K.Laros Foundation Announces Year End Grants for 2018

The R.K.Laros Foundation Awards a $25,000 grant to support ArtsQuest’s current Capital Campaign on 1.17.19. The foundation grant will be part of the restoration and preservation of the historic Bethlehem Steel Turn and Grind Shop to expand venue space in providing access to art, culture and educational programs for the diverse residents of the Lehigh Valley and others who seek access to our community.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE R.K. LAROS FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES GRANTS FOR 2017

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-January 22,2019

The Bethlehem based, R.K.Laros Foundation, established in 1952 by Laros Silk Mill Founder and Owner R.K.Laros and his wife Helen, announces the annual award of grants to 8 local non-profit organizations.

Grants were awarded to the following nonprofit organizations:  ArtsQuest, $25,000 to support their current capital campaign and specifically the restoration of the Turn and Grind Shop honoring ArtsQuest founder and visionary Jeff Parks; Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, $15,000 for outside repair of the Forte Building on Southside Bethlehem; Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley, $20,000 to install an ADA compliant handicapped ramp at the Senior Center and honoring longtime Hispanic Center leader and SLUHN Physician Dr. Bonnie Coyle; Northampton Community College, $30,000 for the current capital campaign renovations to the Fowler Campus to establish and develop a resource center where prospective and current students and visitors can learn about the college’s diverse educational offerings, career assessment tools and financial aid resources; Northeast Ministries, $35,000 for the installation of a comprehensive security system; St. Luke’s University Health Network, $20,000 for the addition of an anatomage table; Touchstone Theatre, $2,500 for the replacement of an HVAC system; Lehigh University, $35,000 to support the current preservation and renovations of University Center and the establishment of an annual Entrepreneurship Award honoring R.K.Laros. Foundation Trustees will present the grants throughout January 2018.

The R.K. Laros Foundation provides grant support with a focus on enduring capital projects with community impact in the Bethlehem Area. Grant proposals will be accepted September 10 - September 24th in 2019. Grant applications are available on the foundation website http://www.larosfoundation.org

For more information about grant opportunities or the R.K. Laros Foundation contact Executive Director Sharon Jones Zondag at larosfoundation.org

Touchstone Theatre Grant Presentation by Trustees Elizabeth Shimer Bowrers, Ron Donchez and Laurie Hackett to Artistic Director Lisa Jordan and Bill George Touchstone Co Founder on 1.17.19 to replace an aging HVAC.

Trustees Elizabeth Shimer Bowers, Diane Donaher and Ron Donchez present a grant on 1.17.19 to Past Director Northeast Ministries Ann Gibson and Executive Director Paula Johnson to install a comprehensive security system at the site.

Trustee George Mowrer and Vice Chair Laura Bennett Shelton on 1.24.19 present the grant to CACLV Executive Director Alan Jennings to support outside repairs to the Forte Building.

Trustee George Mowrer and Executive Director Sharon Zondag present the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley Grant at the Senior Center on January 18th, 2019 a grant to install an ADA compliant handicapped access ramp at the center.

Foundation Vice Chair Laura Bennett Shelton and Trustees Diane Donaher and Robert Bilheimer on 1.18.19 present the grant to Northampton Community College President Mark Erickson and Vice President Workforce Development Lauren Loeffler to support the establishment of a Resource Center at the Fowler Campus..

R.K.Laros’ great granddaughter Elizabeth Shimer Bowers with Trustees Laurie Gostley Hackett and Dr. Michael Abgott presents the 2018 grant to Carla Arbushites Asst VP Development and Megan Augustine Network Simulation Director SLUHN on January 17th, 2019 in support of the purchase of a virtual anatomy table..

2018 Foundation Grant Awarded by Laros Family 4th Generation

In 2018 the Laros Foundation partnered with Lehigh and 5 Laros 4th generation descendants enrolled at the University to teach and model the values and mechanics of philanthropy. Read more here

L-R Laros descendants Janelle Laros ‘21, Board Chair R.Keller Laros III, Alexandra Lada ‘20, Truman Shelton ‘21, Board Vice Chair Laura Bennett Shelton

On November 8th 2018 the 4th Generation Laros descendants present the 2018 Lehigh University Grant supporting the Campaign “Go: The Campaign for Lehigh”. The grant will contribute to the restoration and renovation of the historic University Center, a hub of campus life, and to establish in perpetuity the Annual R.K.Laros Entrepreneurship Award.

Good Shepherd Women's Giving Circle Hosted at Sunset Acres

The Laros Foundation, Vice Chair Laura Bennett Shelton and Capital Blue Cross hosted the Good Shepherd Women's Giving Circle at Sunset Acres on December 5th, 2018 for their annual holiday meeting and gathering. The Women’s Circle was formed in 2009 to allow individual members to combine efforts to better and more effectively support the mission of Good Shepherd to improve the lives of those with disabilities.

Members of the Good Shepherd Women’s Giving Circle invited guests to join them for this unique opportunity to enjoy a holiday gathering at the estate built by R.K.Laros from 1928-1932.

L-R Carol Carpenter Senior Major Gifts Officer Good Shepherd, Anne Baum Vice President Capital Blue Cross and Laura Bennett Shelton Vice Chair R.K.Laros Foundation

LEHIGH VALLEY LIVE History of an iconic Lehigh Valley silk mill is now coming into focus

By Sara K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.com | Posted December 05, 2018 at 06:50 AM

Bethlehem Steel's rise and fall is closely interwoven into the family histories of all those who worked there.

But there's another Bethlehem company that anchored the east Bethlehem community in the early 20th century that  doesn't get as much attention.  

Now, efforts are underway to preserve the stories of the R.K. Laros Silk Company and its employees before they're lost to time.

Known as the Laros Oral History Project, the collaboration between the Industrial Archives & Library and the R.K. Laros Foundation, is proving fruitful, said Robert Bilheimer, co-manager and producer/director for the project. Bilheimer is also general manager of the archives and a foundation trustee.

"The company was also an anchor to its East  Bethlehem community and was perhaps second only to Bethlehem Steel in shaping and influencing the most individual lives and families in the Greater Bethlehem area during the first half of the 20th Century," Bilheimer said.

Since March of 2017, the project has completed 18 audio and  27 separate video interviews with participants, including former Laros Silk Company employees, their family members, Laros family members and R.K. Laros Foundation trustees. 

"Although the project is far from being completed, a consistent and clear picture is emerging of R. K. Laros as a caring, compassionate and innovative individual, who was deeply committed to his employees and his community and who built a very progressive company that fostered an unusually close-knit company culture among its employees," Bilheimer said.

Project organizers have shared an assortment of the images and articles they have collected with lehighvalleylive.com.

R.K.Laros Foundation Announces the Appointment of a New Trustee

The R.K.Laros Foundation is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Shimer Bowers, great granddaughter of R.K.and Helen Laros, has been elected as a trustee to the foundation board. Author and freelance writer, Elizabeth brings a wealth of experience to her role as a trustee for the foundation. Chairman Russell Keller Laros III and the trustees welcome Elizabeth to the board!

Elizabeth Shimer Bowers