Chiericozzis Donate $25,000 Towards Harrodsburg’s 250th Birthday party
Couple Honored For Their Commitment To Mercer County
Bill Huston of the James Harrod Trust presented Pete and Barbara Chiericozzi with the Jane Bird Hutton award for preservation.
Robert Moore
Herald Staff
rmoore@harrodsburgherald.com
Barbara and Pete Chiericozzi were given the Jane Bird Hutton award for preservation by the James Harrod Trust last week. The Chiericozzis were presented with a crystal vase by James Harrod Trust member Bill Huston at the Beaumont Inn, but that wasn’t the only gift giving. The Chiericozzis presented a $25,000 donation to the Trust, charging them to use the funds to select and direct projects that will help Harrodsburg celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2024.
Pete Chiericozzi remembered the late Ralph Anderson and John Landrum and quoted George Jones by asking, “Whos’ Gonna Fill Their Shoes?”
The Chiericozzis were honored because of their commitment to the improvement, philanthropy and preservation of Harrodsburg and Mercer County.
During his speech, Pete Chiericozzi, a retired paper executive, said he and his wife had lived in Mercer County longer than anywhere else in their 52 years of marriage. The couple, who recently relocated to South Carolina to be closer to their family, lived here for 16 years.
Among other projects, they founded the Mercer Endowment, making the initial donation of $10,000 and matching donations up to $5,000 over the first five years. The Endowment has made small yet significant donations to Anderson-Dean Community Park, volunteer fire departments around the area and funded college scholarships.
Chiericozzi’s wide-ranging speech included quotations from George Jones songs.
Mentioning the late Ralph Anderson and John Landrum—who were both big benefactors to Mercer County—Chiericozzi asked, “Who’s gonna fill their shoes?”
After making their donation to the James Harrod Trust, Chiericozzi gave the audience an impromptu Italian lesson, telling them “Il meglio deve ancora arrivare.”
For Mercer County, Chiericozzi said that translates to “The best is yet to come.”
Find the rest of the story on page 1A of this week’s issue of the Harrodsburg Herald or click here to subscribe.
