The Ray and Lilene Helgerson Educational Endowment Fund was established by Ray to support Chippewa Falls Public Schools, with the goal of helping students and strengthening educational opportunities in the district.

"My wife, E. Lilene (Pickerign, deceased November 1989) and I have been interested in children and their education for many years, and that interest remained important to us throughout our lives.

Though we couldn't have our own children, we enjoyed others. Hopefully this endowment fund will help many children get a little more education other than just what the school boards offer," shared retired teacher Ray Helgerson.

When asked what caused him to be so generous, he became quite emotional and simply said, "God has been so good to me. I have more money than I need." Ray's primary interest is in helping students from needy families; he grew up with limited resources and wants to make certain children from these families get the opportunity to get a good education and have access to experiences that they may not have otherwise.

Grants provide additional funding for educational programs, activities, materials, equipment, and opportunities and/or experiences for students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 through the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District, particularly for students from families financially in need, helping ensure they have greater access to meaningful educational support.