John Cogar
Memorial Scholarship
A group of our classmates has established a memorial scholarship in John Cogar’s name to support one or two deserving Auburn High School students at the end of each school year. The scholarship honors John’s achievements, generosity, and lifelong commitment to helping others.
Help carry John’s legacy forward
After numerous discussions and several Zoom meetings, our classmates established the scholarship through the Central New York Community Foundation (CNYCF), based in Syracuse. We invite every classmate to consider contributing. Your gift will help honor John’s memory while supporting the next generation of Auburn High School graduates.
Make a contribution
Check
To contribute by check, make your check payable to Central New York Community Foundation, write “John Cogar Memorial Fund” in the memo line, and mail it to:
Central New York Community Foundation
Attn: John Cogar Memorial Fund
431 E. Fayette St.
Syracuse, NY 13202
Online
Note:
Because credit card transactions incur processing fees, please consider sending a check for a more substantial gift.
Questions?
For questions about contributing, contact our class representative, Tony Graceffo, at (315) 246-9349 or anthony.graceffo@outlook.com.
Thank you for helping us honor John’s life and carry his spirit of service forward.
Remembering John
Many of us remember John as an excellent student and athlete. What you may not know is that he was inducted into both the Auburn High School and University of Rochester Athletic Halls of Fame.
After college, John earned his veterinary degree from Cornell University. He went on to build a large and successful veterinary practice in the Saranac Lake area, where he and his wife raised three children.
John remained active in rugby, tennis, golf, skiing, and even bobsledding. His bobsledding career included membership on four U.S. or world championship teams and participation in three Olympic trials. Above all, John took pride in serving his community, generously contributing his time and energy to a wide range of local activities.
Helping animals in Ukraine
One particularly moving example of John’s humanitarian spirit came in October 2022. Determined to do more than protest locally against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he traveled there and spent two weeks volunteering his veterinary skills to care for injured animals less than 50 miles from the front lines. John’s compassion and willingness to help extended far beyond his own community. He shared his experience in a video presentation available on our class website. The video is 35 minutes followed by a slide show.
John volunteering his veterinary skills
in Ukraine, October 2022.