Elementary school children in Springfield will benefit from a legacy donation made to the Springfield Public Library Foundation to honor the late Springfield community member Kate Wallace. The sizeable gift of $100,000 will support children’s library materials for years to come.

The Kate Wallace Endowment Fund, established by Kate’s husband, Dennis Shine, will be a permanent fund to support book materials, digital resources, and online resources for elementary school children and to provide educational materials to English and Spanish speaking children and families. The gift of $100,000 was announced this week by the Foundation at a signing celebration held at the Springfield Public Library with the donor’s family, Foundation board members, City officials, Library staff, and other friends. Please see attached photos for media use.

“We are grateful to Dennis Shine for making a lasting gift to support the library,” said Springfield Public Library Director Emily David “His wife, Kate Wallace, was such an amazing person and supported us in so many ways. This donation is a tribute to Kate and her many contributions to our community.”

“The Wallace gift with the Springfield Public Library Foundation is our first endowment fund to be managed by the highly respected Oregon Community Foundation,” said Jody Anderson, vice president, Springfield Public Library Foundation. “We hope others will be inspired by this gift.”

Kate Wallace contributed her time and talent to Springfield organizations and schools and served as president of the Friends of the Springfield Public Library. She was honored as Volunteer of the Year in 2006 by United Way of Lane County. Wallace was a talented musician, artist, and teacher. Her husband, Dennis Shine, is making this gift as a tribute to Kate and her life of service. Kate Wallace died in 2016.

The Springfield Public Library Foundation is a 501 (c) 3, tax-exempt, nonprofit organization. Led by a volunteer board of directors with membership from area business, education, health care, and nonprofit sectors, the Foundation provides support to Springfield’s library and museum. This includes funding collections, special programs, and cultural events, as well as long-term strategic goals. The Foundation’s vision is to help create an active, state-of-the-art public library and museum, performing a vital role in our community by ensuring literacy, life-long learning, and culture for all.

For more information about the Foundation, contact [email protected]. Learn more about the Foundation at https://splforegon.org/