BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer
In a world where random acts of kindness are few and far between, one man has decided to— at his own expense— initiate a project that will pay tribute to the sanctity of marriage and help needy students further their educational goals. The man, who has asked to remain anonymous, donated $1,000 to what he named “The Clifford and Grace Scholarship.”
The money will go to one Jordan High School senior every year, and he intends to continue donating the same amount from now on, until he dies. “I felt that it was important to honor a couple that has lived in this city for more than 80 years and have been married more than 70 years,” he said. “And I thought there was no better way to honor them than to put their name on a scholarship that will enable students to do better in life.” He explained that the Chaffees have donated much of their time as volunteers in programs that help local youth. Clifford Chafee also belongs to the local branch of the Fleet Reserve Association, which advocates for veterans benefits on behalf of retired U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and Marine personnel. “The Chaffees are always busy doing good things that benefit others,” the man said. “These are the kind of people our young people need to have as role models.”
The man is a member of the North Long Beach Community Action Group (CAG). He decided to make that organization the administrator of the scholarship.
“We are giving this scholarship based primarily on the need of the student,” said
Dan Pressburg, CAG vice president and treasurer. He explained that CAG is asking all interested students to submit essays describing themselves, their goals, and why they need the scholarship to accomplish those goals.
“The essays are due at the end of May,” Pressburg said. “CAG’s board of directors will read the essays and decide which student gets the scholarship. We plan to award it during the first week of June.” He added that students just recently found out about the scholarship and he didn’t know how many would submit essays, but only one student will receive the award each year.
“I met the Chaffees at the Bake and Broil in Bixby Knolls about five years ago and right from the start I was very impressed by them,” said the man who created the scholarship. “Just the fact that they have been married so long is a good reason to pay tribute to them. Young people today need to look at them and realize that marriage is a sacred thing, it’s not to be held lightly and it is supposed to last a lifetime.”
He added that he hoped other people will step up to donate to the scholarship in the coming years. “But even if they don’t, I plan on donating $1,000 to it every year until I die,” he said. “I am hoping that the scholarship will inspire young men and women to work hard to get ahead in life and to work hard to make sure their marriage does not fall apart.”
“I feel tremendously honored that someone would name a scholarship after us,” Clifford Chafee said, adding that he hopes the award will inspire students to work hard to achieve their goals.
Chaffee added that he felt it was a shame that the divorce rate in America is so high. “People staying together a lifetime should be the normal thing in marriage,” he said. “Husbands and wives need to learn how to communicate with one another, they need to never hold a grudge overnight, they need to be willing to listen to the other person even when they disagree, and they need to just have a positive outlook on life.” He explained that doing those things have kept his marriage with Grace intact for more than 70 years. “It’s more than just giving 100 percent,” he said. “People have to learn how to live together and how to work together to achieve shared goals.”
