A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Valentines Day Celebration honors philanthropist Eva Farris with kickoff of campaign to support NaviGo


By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune managing editor

The Valentine’s Day celebration at the Hotel Covington Wednesday was billed as a way to honor philanthropist Eva Farris as she embarks on her 100th year, but it was much more than that.

Charitable contributions from Oakley and Eva Farris have benefited organizations throughout Northern Kentucky, including NKU, Thomas More College, Gateway CTC, the Carnegie Arts Center and St. Elizabeth Healthcare (photos by Mark Hansel).

In a manner befitting a woman who, with her husband Oakley Farris, has dedicated so much of her life to endeavors that support Northern Kentucky’s youth, Children Inc. announced a campaign to honor Farris with a special scholarship for NaviGo students.

Farris turns 100 on December 5, and the event took place, fittingly, in Hotel Covington’s Eva G. Farris Ballroom.

Mike Hammons, director of advocacy for Children Inc., said it was a perfect start to the yearlong Eva Farris Campaign focused on recognizing the efforts of Eva and Oakley Farris in the way they would want, through philanthropy.

“I wonder if you could find a better way to invest in a community than investing in our youth and finding ways to break down barriers, so the young men and women in our community could prosper,” Hammons said. “They constantly look for ways to do that.

The story of Oakley Farris’s courtship of Cuban-born Eva Garcia-Aloy is well known in Northern Kentucky. After a chance meeting in Florida, the businessman engaged in a courtship that ultimately led to marriage and Eva’s relocation to Covington.

Mike Hammons of Children Inc. talks about the philanthropic contributions of Eva and Oakley Farris at Wednesday’s event. NaviGo founder Tim Hanner and Helen Carroll, one of the earliest supporters of the program while at Toyota, are at left.

Oakley Farris has always recognized Eva as a partner in their endeavors and Wednesday’s event was no exception.

“Somehow, I can’t explain it, that woman taught me that I could do things that I thought was impossible,” he said.

With the support of each other, they prospered and, upon retirement, began to share that success with organizations throughout the region.

“One things for sure, they were devoted to each other and they shared common values about investing in life and giving to others,” Hammons said. “What we don’t see is the work that they did for years, which preceded the recent philanthropy. They investing in Covington in a day, where no one else was.”

The city of Covington, Northern Kentucky University, Thomas More College, Gateway CTC, Holy Cross, Holmes High School, the Carnegie Arts Center and St. Elizabeth Healthcare head the list of organizations that have benefited from their philanthropy.

“As we go through this centennial year, we are going to be remembering their extraordinary generosity and we’re going to be remembering it by making contributions to our community whatever way we can” Hammons said. “We’re also going to reach out and thank Eva and Oakley throughout the course of the year, for all that they have done.”

The first step in that recognition is the NaviGo scholarship fund. Oakley Farris refers to his contributions as investments and called on the community to do its part in this endeavor as well.

Liea Mack, one of the first NaviGo Scholars, who entered the program as a junior in high school, with NaviGo Founder Tim Hanner. Mack, now a junior at the University of Cincinnati, credits NaviGo for providing the direction she needed to move forward on her career path.

“We have some big hitters here tonight and what Mike was trying to tell you, in a nice way, is to dig into your pockets because we want to raise $100,000 for a scholarship,” Farris said. “It will be a good investment for each of you.”

NaviGo recognizes the challenges students and parents face when trying to navigate the college and career planning process. By working with students through an individual coaching model, as well as those sponsored by businesses and in school-based programs, NaviGo makes that process more manageable.

NaviGo was acquired by Children Inc. in July.

Tim Hanner, a former Kenton County Schools superintendent, founded NaviGo Prep when he retired from the school system.

“The reason why we started NaviGo was that we want to empower youth and help them figure out, while they are in high school, who they are and what comes next in life,” Hanner said. “Six years later, we’re here. We took two years of research and development, we engaged our schools, we engaged the community and as of July 1, we merged with an incredible organization in Children Inc.”

NaviGo now has a student board of directors that meet every Sunday to talk about the direction of the program and Hanner introduced the members of the board in attendance.

“These kids here had an opportunity and they have been sponsored by companies and it’s the tip of the iceberg,” Hanner said. “We started NaviGo, so that any student who has a desire to get coached to figure out who they are in high school and what they are going to do in life, has that opportunity, regardless of their income, regardless of their background. This campaign is to make that possible.”

Hanner encouraged those in attendance to meet with the board members to hear their individual stories. He also introduced Liea Mack, who was sponsored by Toyota as a junior in high school, and was one of the first NaviGo Scholars, to tell her story.

Jordan Huizenga, senior director of development at Children Inc., with members of the NaviGo student board of directors.

Mack, a first-generation college student is now a junior at the University of Cincinnati majoring in Organizational Leadership, with a focus on human resources.

“I think the basis where everything for me started was in high school…really figuring out who I am and what I wanted to do. That’s kind of like the hardest thing for anyone,” Mack said. “I knew the basics of what I liked and what I didn’t like, but having a Navigo coach and having people to give me that help was really big for me.”

Mack’s mother had always been her daughter’s strongest supporter, but couldn’t provide the specific direction she needed to fulfill her ambitions.

“I had the love, but I just needed a little bit more information and someone to help me,” Mack said. “Having that help, was the biggest change and just being able to go from someone who was wandering around to someone with just a little bit more focus and knowing what I wanted moving toward.”

Last semester, Mack spent five months in Toronto working at a small company there, where she did hiring and recruiting.

Finding her way to the University of Cincinnati and getting the guidance to realize she was more of a “people person,” than a lab person made all the difference.

“I’ve done a lot of really cool things on campus and a lot of that started with me finding myself, finding out where I wanted to go and doing it,” Mack said. “That’s all because of NaviGo.”

Contact Mark Hansel at mark.hansel@nkytrib.com


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