Folds of Honor provides scholarships for families of fallen servicemen, first responders
A Western Pennsylvania group is making sure the children and spouses of killed or gravely injured servicemen and women, as well as those of first responders, have a chance to further their education.
The Western Pennsylvania chapter of Folds of Honor has raised more than $2.5 million in funding to pay for scholarships since its founding in 2019.
Mike Popella, of Grove City, is president and a founding board member of the chapter. He said his group has provided scholarships to 143 recipients during the 2024-25 academic year. The chapter covers an area from Erie to the north to Greene County in the south and east to State College.
“It’s pretty much everything to the west of Harrisburg,” Popella said.
The chapter also includes West Virginia, Eastern Ohio and Western New York.
The scholarships can be used for private school tuition or tutoring in grades K-12; tuition for college, technical or trade school; and postgraduate work, including a master’s degree, doctorate or professional program. Funds for a second bachelor’s degree or trade/technical program certification are also available.
The local chapter is one of 36 nationwide. Folds of Honor, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded in 2007 by Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, an F-16 fighter pilot with the Oklahoma Air National Guard who did three tours in Iraq. As Rooney’s flight landed on return from his second stint in Iraq, the pilot announced the plane carried the remains of Cpl. Brock Bucklin. Rooney watched as Bucklin’s twin brother walked somberly alongside the flag-covered casket to meet his family on the tarmac. Among them was the deceased corporal’s young son, Jacob.
Since then, Rooney has been committed to rallying Americans to honor that sacrifice with hope through Folds of Honor.
Popella said the group takes its name from the 13 folds necessary to turn an American flag into the triangle presented to the fallen’s survivors.
Since its founding, Folds of Honor has awarded more than 52,000 scholarships totaling more than $240 million nationwide. Among the students served, 45% are minorities.
Popella, a vice president of business and membership development for a Chicago-based national food service distribution company that works with chain restaurants, is not a veteran, but said he and his wife, Crystal, believed it was important to start the Western Pennsylvania chapter, which today has a nine-member board of directors and 15 to 20 volunteers.
Popella said in 2022 Folds of Honor expanded its scholarship program to the children and spouses of first responders, firefighters, police and EMTs, who were killed or severely injured in the line of duty.
“We are serving those who fought and sacrificed for the country,” he said. “It is our way of giving back to those that served and sacrificed for the country, both military and first responders. Our mission is both to honor the sacrifice and educate the legacy.”
He said those seeking scholarships should go to foldsofhonor.org and click on the link to scholarships. Recipients must apply for scholarships every year. The next sign-up period runs from Feb. 1 to March 31.
The chapter raises money to pay for the scholarships through fundraising events, grants and donations from local organizations and individuals.
Upcoming fundraisers include the sixth annual Spitzer Automotive Topgolf event in Bridgeville, which raised $35,000 last year. That sum was enough to fund seven scholarships.
Closer to home, there have been fundraisers at the Dented Keg in Cranberry Township and Missing Links Brewery in Connoquenessing Township.
Firehouse Subs, at 620 Butler Crossing, donates a portion of its sales the Friday before Memorial Day to the chapter, Popella said. The Ginger Hill Tavern in Slippery Rock had a guest bartender event Dec. 19 where all tips went to the local Folds of Honor chapter. The Butler Elks donated $5,000 to the cause.
Popella said Butler County has been a big supporter of Folds of Honor because of its “blue-collar work ethic.”
He added that because the chapter is an all-volunteer organization, donors can be sure that 91% of every donation goes directly to scholarship funding.
The national organization is rated a four-star charity by Charity Navigator and Platinum on GuideStar, a resource that provides information on nonprofits.
Popella said the chapter is always looking for more fundraisers and fundraising ideas.
His chapter is asking employers to consider sponsoring or hosting a fundraiser, offering a grant to support scholarships or holding an employee drive for donations to the chapter.
Those with ideas for fundraising events can email him at mpopella@foldsofhonor.org.
For more information or to donate in support of a scholarship visit westernpa.foldsofhonor.org.
This article first appeared in the January edition of Butler County Business Matters.
