Hall and Sonja Waddell receive Sauer Award from Community Foundation of Henderson County

Hall and Sonja Waddell were honored as the 2019 recipients of the Sauer Charitable Leadership Award Wednesday by the Community Foundation of Henderson County.

The Waddells received the award during the Community Foundation’s annual luncheon Wednesday. It's considered the organization’s highest honor, and celebrates individuals who provide outstanding leadership through their philanthropic efforts in Henderson County.

Named for Richard C. and Vina L. Sauer, the award exemplifies the generosity of a husband and wife team who support many local charities during their lifetimes and then left the first $1 million unrestricted gift to the Community Foundation through their will.

Fitting of the award’s namesake, the Waddells' similar generosity of time and money in Henderson County over the years was recognized by the Community Foundation.

“We appreciate the honor, certainly not deserved,” Hall Waddell told the crowd of 200 in attendance. “I just want to challenge all of ya’ll to look deep in your heart, to those things that you like, that you’d like to promote and to consider using the foundation as your foundation as your vehicle to do your charitable giving. It’s a wonderful thing.”

The Waddell family has been instrumental in growing the Community Foundation since its inception, according to the organization. Hall Waddell served on the foundation’s Board of Directors in the infancy stages and continued service in a variety of capacities from 1983 to 2010.

“The 2019 Sauer Award recipients come from a family with roots now encompassing a breadth of five generations across our community’s heart and history,” said CFHC board member and Sauer Recognition Committee Chair Stan Duncan.

“The Waddells are a bridge connecting the past to the present and are continuing to be pivotal influencers in health, education, business, religious life, and are always cognizant of the quality of life in Henderson County,” he added.

In addition, the Waddells give their time and financial support to First United Methodist Church, Boys and Girls Club of Henderson County, Pardee Hospital and its foundation, programs at Clemson University and the Hendersonville High School Alumni Association among other groups. They have longtime associations with the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce and the Hendersonville Merchants and Business Association.

The Waddells are also strong believers in endowments, saying that “although one-time gifts can make an impact, endowment funds continue to benefit each and every year while they remain as valuable as the day the gift was given forever.”

The Community Foundation reported 94 percent of its funds permanently endowed for the 2018-19 fiscal year. That’s above the average of less than 70 percent of community foundation of comparable size reported, according to Duncan.

“It was fascinating to me how you can put a fairly small amount of money into an endowment and all of a sudden you look back 20 years later and the fund is more than doubled," Hall Waddell said. “It’s just a fascinating concept for people that want to do some charitable giving. And the foundation doesn’t tell you how to give. You give to what you want, which I think makes it even more fascinating.”