Donor’s gift to education to live on
Earlier this month, the Eagle ran a story on a $75,000 donation Dan and Cindy Musko made to the Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation.
Today, we learned that Dan Musko has left this mortal coil to “Rest with Jesus,” as his self-written obituary states.
While his family and friends will miss him immensely, his death is very different from most, as his legacy of generosity and community concern will live on through the scholarship.
The donation provides the foundation with $5,000 per year for 15 years for the scholarship, which will be distributed annually to a male and female senior on the Butler Senior High varsity basketball team.
Each athlete will receive $2,500 to help pay for their postsecondary education.
The Muskos have not restricted the recipients to enrollment in a four-year college or university, but specified that they can use the money for a vocational, technical or trade school, or a community or junior college, the Eagle article said.
Really, no one should be surprised that the Muskos decided to forgo some creature comfort, fancy car or luxurious vacation and put the money toward education.
After all, Dan Musko’s employment history reads like a philanthropy handbook. He first spent a decade working for Boy Scouts of America, then served at the helm at the Easter Seals Society, now LifeSteps, for 25 years as president and executive director.
To enumerate all the babies, children, adults with disabilities and senior citizens whose lives were improved and made more joyful while Musko led Easter Seals and, later, LifeSteps, would be like trying to count the stars.
Musko also mentions in his autobiographical obituary that his life story never left Butler County.
The 1965 Butler High grad noted that he was born, raised, educated (Slippery Rock University) and worked in the county his entire life.
No one could argue that Musko was anything but Butler County through and through.
His donation to the Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation illustrates his love for his hometown and willingness to not only serve its people through his career, but to help educate those heading toward their own careers.
The county is definitely worse off with the loss of a local legend like Dan Musko, but we hope his example will inspire others, and that the seniors who receive his and Cindy’s annual scholarship aspire to serve their community as he did.
