Robert (Bob) and Arlene Erusha were life-long residents of eastern Iowa. Bob dedicated over fifty years to the banking industry. He joined Farmers Savings Bank in Walford in 1950, serving as President from 1973 to 1998. At the time, he was named Chairman of the Board of Directors. The Erushas were tremendous community volunteers, activists and philanthropists, donating their time, talent and resources to numerous community organizations and worthwhile projects. Bob and Arlene’s immediate family includes seven children, all of whom graduated with college degrees and four with professional degrees. They have 15 grandchildren and one great grandchild. Bob and Arlene Erusha have demonstrated tremendous support and dedication to the Xavier Foundation, as well as the Regis-LaSalle Foundation over the the past fifty years. Their support has had a tremendous impact on Catholic secondary education in the Cedar Rapids metro area.Bob joined the Regis-LaSalle High School Foundation board in 1981 and was elected to chair the investment committee. Bob’s vision, commitment and financial leadership played an important role in the progress and sound financial management of the Foundation. Bob was the first former board member to be recognized with the “Board Emeritus” status in 1999.Drawing from his expertise in banking and finance, Bob helped to expand the planned giving activities of the Foundation and personally secured many memberships in the Foundation’s planned giving club, The Heritage Society. Bob and Arlene took a leadership role by becoming charter members of The Heritage Society. The Erushas were major donors to the Capital Campaign to build Xavier High School with gifts totaling over $200,000. They were instrumental in the funding of three projects for the Capital Campaign. Their gift of $75,000 funded the original multimedia computer lab at Xavier, the largest computer lab in the school, and their gift of $80,000 funded the construction of the Xavier softball field, now named "The Bob Erusha Field." An outright gift of $50,000 was received during the leadership phase of the campaign. They were also generous supporters of the Foundation’s annual appeal and were recognized with membership in the Foundation’s Archbishop Circle, a recognition society for the highest levels of annual support. The Erusha’s gift of the Multimedia Computer Lab played a critical role in the education of the hundreds of thousands of Xavier students, faculty and staff who utilized this lab on a daily basis for projects, presentations and research.Arlene’s love of and interest in softball was instrumental in the couple’s decision to make a second major gift for the development of an $80,000 softball field at Xavier. The entire softball program for Xavier High School, as well as the Little Saints softball league, including nearly 500 Catholic elementary and middle school students who would not have a ball field at Xavier without Bob and Arlene’s generosity and commitment. In an attempt to assist with the effort to promote Xavier High School’s identity and image, Arlene and Bob agreed to sponsor the annual “Christmas with Xavier” concert. Since the opening of Xavier High School, the Erusha’s contributed over $15,000 for the holiday concert which is open to the public. Thousands of students have benefited from the opportunity to showcase their talents, build rehearsal skills and become well-rounded musicians thanks in part to this wonderful event. It is also a religious tradition, which is important to preserve, because it is one season during the year where the Catholic school musical license is broader than in a public school environment. During the capital campaign to build Xavier High School, Bob and Arlene played a significant role as donors and volunteers. Their greatest involvement with the capital campaign came at a critical time following the death of Vincent Noce who was acting chair. Bob, along with Gary Striet who assumed leadership of the capital campaign, was personally responsible for attracting and securing some of the largest gifts during the remainder of the leadership and business phases. Bob and Arlene were responsible for giving the second largest outright gift secured during the campaign. They possessed a special presence which inspired and attracted others to contribute. Thanks largely to Bob and Arlene’s volunteer efforts, leadership and financial generosity, the $6.175 million campaign goal was surpassed. Through the Xavier Foundation, the seven Erusha children have followed their parents example by providing generous capital and annual support, as well as funding for special projects, matching challenge grants, and deferred and planned gifts. Bob and Arlene were active participants and generous supporters to numerous community organizations. They were major donors to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Hiawatha, contributing nearly $150,000 to Capital projects. Arlene is a graduate of the Mount Mercy Junior College and has served on the Mount Mercy Alumni Board, the National Alumni Committee, and on the Women in Philanthropy committee at the College. Arlene and Bob contributed to Mount Mercy’s scholarship funds, library acquisitions, endowment, and many capital projects. In addition to their financial support, Bob and Arlene worked as volunteers during the construction of two homes for Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity. They were annual supporters to the Salvation Army, which was especially meaningful for Bob, who saw it as an opportunity to give thanks for the support and packages that the Salvation Army provided to him while he was stationed in Saipan during World War II. Evidence of Bob’s commitment and vision as a community leader can be traced back to 1954, when Bob was one of seven individuals who provided the seed money required to incorporate the town of Walford. During his lifetime, he was involved with the construction of over 70 homes in the town of Walford. There, Bob was also one of the founders, providing seed money for the Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Middle Amana, a partial non-profit organization. Bob served as vice-president of the board of directors for 12 years. The generosity of the Erusha’s and Farmers Savings Bank extends across eastern Iowa and demonstrates a strong interest in both parochial and public education at all levels. In addition to their support of Xavier, they were generous supporters of College Community Schools, Benton Community Schools, Clear Creek Amana Schools, St. Pius X Elementary School, Kirkwood Community College, the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and Loras College in Dubuque. Additionally, they were annual supporters of the Educational Development Fund for the Archdiocese of Dubuque. They also contributed to a wide variety of community organizations including: National Czech Slovak Museum and Library, Clover Ridge United Methodist Church, Walford; Holy Trinity Church, Walford; March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, Catholic Worker House; Amana Heritage Society; Young Parents Network; United Way; St. Patrick’s Church, Fairfax; St. Michael’s Church, Norway; Fairfax Fire Department; and the Amana Artists Guild. In addition to their generosity to improve the lives of thousands of young people in this community, they also helped to inspire philanthropy among others. Bob and Arlene’s leadership and financial support helped to shape both the Catholic and broader community.