A memorial fund in memory of Half and Susanne Zantop established through the Upper Valley Community Foundation has already received $20,000 in donations from around the nation. The donations will benefit Hanover High School and will be used to further the study of languages and different cultures.
"Funds came pouring in from all over the country," executive director of the Upper Valley Community Foundation Lisa Cashdan said. "It is still happening as people hear about it. They want to do something -- it is a broad, community outpouring."
The fund began in September 2001, when friends of the Zantops' daughters approached Cashdan with the idea for a memorial that would honor the Zantops' commitment to education and their international heritage.
"It is a really remarkable fund," Cashdan said. "They wanted to do something that would make a difference."
Hanover High will first receive money from the fund in August, and while there has been no formal discussion at the high school about how the money will be allocated, many ideas have been generated, according to teacher Bill Hammond. Hammond is serving on the committee that will ultimately decide the use of the memorial cash.
The funds may be used to sponsor school-wide cultural performances that would represent both cultural and artistic achievement.
"This is something that would benefit all the students," Hammond said. "The programs we have been able to pull in have always been limited by our funds, but this would allow us to focus just on the programs."
Hanover High students Sanna Finigan and Tyler Hall thought the prospect of speakers would add to the school's existing language program. According to student Wes Hampton, though, the school offers enough speakers.
"I'd like to see the money used to hire full-time language teachers instead," Hampton said.
There are other suggestions on how to use the money, Hammond said, such as a scholarship fund that would allow individual students to study language abroad. It could also be used to purchase valuable equipment that would be available for student use outside the classroom, to bring in speakers to address individual classes and even to establish an artist-in-residence program.
"As we talked, we came up with lots of creative ways [to use the money]," Hammond said, "and we are always open for recommendations. It opens up a myriad of possibilities."
