Lawrence Funderburke, former Ohio State basketball player and the 51st pick in the 1994 NBADraft, endowed $100,000 to the OSU Tuesday .
The $100,000 endowment is from the Lawrence Funderburke Youth Organization, Inc. Half will go toward students who want to attend the Fisher College of Business and the other half will help establish a scholarship fund for students who want to enroll in other university programs. Funderburke graduated from OSU with a degree in Business Administration/Finance in 1994.
Funderburke said he has been working with the business school for nearly three years on the endowment, but wanted to make the presentation at a time that would be special.
Joseph A. Alutto, dean of the Fisher College of Business, said, “We are very pleased that Lawrence has taken this step and look forward to welcoming the students who accept his challenge when they are ready to come to the Fisher College or other colleges at Ohio State.”
Before the presentation, Lawrence brought close to 25 members of his foundation to the Fisher College for a mini field-trip including a computer lab simulation, a mini taste test and a lesson on the stock market.
Funderburke described his foundation as a three-tier program for underprivileged children in the Columbus area.
The first tier focuses on financial literacy. He took terms used in the financial world and applied them to the children’s lives. As in the financial world, Funderburke pointed out one must diversify their portfolio to protect against market changes. He emphasized to children that this is the same in real life. If athletics doesn’t work out for them, they must have another option and hopefully this is a college degree, Funderburke said.
The second tier is career role-modeling. Doctors, lawyers, managers and many other professionals visit and talk to the kids about what they do. “I want to show the kids there are alternate areas of success, not just athletics and entertainment,” Funderburke said.
The final tier is educational field trips, similar to the one at Fisher College. Funderburke recently treated the youth to dinner at Morton’s Steakhouse to teach them proper etiquette.
Debby Cacchio, men’s basketball coach Jim O’Brien’s assistant, who also worked under Coach Randy Ayers, was not surprised by Funderburke’s contribution at all. She called Funderburke “intelligent, quiet and a very caring person.”
“This is obvious with all of his involvement with young people and trying to help them better their lives,” she said.
Funderburke is known for his athletic prowess and some may wonder why he didn’t choose to donate his money to the Athletic Department. Cacchio said she believes that Funderburke wanted to help the youth who may not have the chance to attend college. Athletes are able to lean on their ability and Funderburke wants to award other future students for their hard work in the classroom.
He received the NBA’s first Hometown Hero of the Month in November 2000 for his work with the Lawrence Funderburke Foundation, Inc. The foundation’s headquarters is in Columbus but while playing and practicing with the Kings he works with the children in Sacramento.
