Adelė and Vincas Benokraitis and Ona and Pijus Vaičaitis Scholarship Fund
As the year drew to a close, the Adelė and Vincas Benokraitis and Ona and Pijus Vaičaitis Scholarship Fund was established within the Lithuanian Foundation. This is the 118th donor-directed fund created under the umbrella of the Lithuanian Foundation. In honor of the memory of their parents, it was founded by Nijolė and Vitalius Benokraitis, who donated $200,000 towards the establishment of this fund. Scholarship allocations from this donor-directed fund will be given to students of Lithuanian descent.
Nijolė and Vitalius Benokraitis noted that they were drawn to the Lithuanian Foundation due to the special focus that the LF places on education. When asked how the idea of setting up a fund in memory of her and her husband’s parents came about, Nijolė Benokraitis replied: “Our parents sacrificed a lot so that their children could successfully study and graduate with degrees in higher education. Their dreams came true – two children became PHD‘s, one an MD and two more earned bachelor’s degrees.”
Like many other Lithuanians, Adelė and Vincas Benokraitis and Ona and Pijus Vaičaitis immigrated to the United States in 1949, fleeing from the Soviet plague. Life in a foreign country was not easy, but both families raised children, instilled in them respect for other cultures, taught them to overcome difficulties while making sacrifices, and strive to firmly walk on the path to higher education.
The wedding of the founders of the scholarship fund in 1967. From left: Vincas and Adelė Benokraičiai, Nijolė (Vaičaitytė) and Vitalius Benokraičiai, Ona and Pijus Vaičaičiai.
