Jonathan Ferguson was a fixture in the Ashland Community and at Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital. He served the hospital by overseeing its branch of the Members Choice Credit Union. He was an active community volunteer and best known for his long-running work with Ashland’s annual Winter Wonderland and Christmas parade. His wife, OLBH Pediatrician, Dr. Cheryl Cook created this endowment in Jonathan’s memory to be used for various children’s needs in our community and most recently added yearly scholarships for patients of Hoops Family Children’s Hospital.
Luann Serey and Alanea DeBoard proudly accepted a donation from Tiffany Black and Members Choice Credit Union from their annual golf benefit in support of the Dr. Cheryl Cook and Jonathan Ferguson endowment.
Thank you members Choice Credit Union for hosting your golf benefit for the children in our community and for helping to make sure Jonathan’s legacy forever lives on!
This endowment is set up to:
*Purchase pediatric equipment and provide benevolent care for pediatric patients and their families.
*Purchase oncology equipment and provide benevolent care to oncology pediatric patients, especially prescriptions and home medical equipment.
*Provide area children whom would otherwise experience a dismal Christmas, a better Christmas season with not only clothes and gifts but also the spiritual message of the Christmas season.
*As funds allow, a $1,000 college scholarship to be awarded annually to a deserving and qualifying student who was also a cancer survivor from Hoops Children’s Hospital in Huntington, WV.
2022 Scholarship Recipient
Larkin Hayes
Dr. Cheryl Cook & Jonathan Ferguson Endowment 2022 scholarship recipient
Harkin College
2022 Scholarship Recipient
Evan Rakes
Dr. Cheryl Cook & Jonathan Ferguson Endowment 2022 scholarship recipient
Marshall University
2021 Scholarships Recipients Announced
Three High school graduates have been awarded the Jonathan A. Ferguson and Dr. Cheryl L. Cook Scholarship, which was established by Cook in honor of her husband Jon Ferguson, who died after an eight-month battle with acute lymphocytic leukemia and lymphoma.
The inaugural recipients of the scholarship were recognized during a June 24 ceremony. Larkin Hayes, Symmes Valley High School; Luke Colegrove, Fairland High School; and Thomas Ruffell, home-schooled student, were presented certificates by Cook and Paul T. Finch, M.D., pediatric oncologist.
The Jonathan Ferguson Scholarship is a $1,000 annual scholarship that offers educational support to past or present patients of the Hoops Family Children’s Hospital Pediatric Oncology Program. This scholarship is for high school seniors who were treated for cancer and have demonstrated their ability to succeed academically despite a challenging medical diagnosis.
Cook has worked in the Tri-State area as a pediatric physician since 1998, including 32 years with Tri-State Pediatrics, specializing in the care of infants, children, teenagers and children with special needs. Ferguson was responsible for merging Our Lady of Bellefonte Credit Union with member’s Choice Credit Union in Ashland, which created a partnership that benefited the hospital staff and families in the Tri-State area. He also taught Junior Achievement at Raceland-Worthington High School, where he received the National Junior Achievement Award for Outstanding Teacher.
At the awards ceremony, Cook said her wish was for Ferguson’s work in the community to continue.
“The recipients of these scholarships are like expanding ripples in the water carrying on his legacy,” she said.
“We are forever grateful for Dr. Cheryl Cook and her heart to help others,” said Kristi Arrowood, CHH director of development. “Dr. Cook has seen firsthand what families who have faced childhood cancer struggle with, and she understands how overwhelming the journey can be. She saw the need and chose to support young cancer survivors’ pursuit of higher education to build a community of support for those affected by cancer.”