LAKE CITY, Fla. – On Wednesday, August 13, the Foundation for Florida Gateway College held the 19th Annual Donor Celebration Luncheon in the FGC Howard Center in honor of all those whose generous contributions make the Foundation’s work possible.
This year’s event honored the 2025 Distinguished Friend of the Foundation, the Ray & Athena Brown Family.
The Raye & Athena Brown Family play an integral role in the Foundation’s mission to support Florida Gateway College
students, making the dream of a college education attainable for anyone who seeks
it. The family currently has three endowments with the Foundation:
- The Faye Claudine Brown Rhoden Endowed Scholarship, established October 2023
- The Berry Floyd Rhoden, Sr. Endowed Scholarship, established November 2016
- The Ray & Athena Brown Endowed Memorial Scholarship, established November 2015
Through these endowments, the legacy of Ray & Athena Brown and the continuing support of their family have, for years, changed the lives of FGC students as they build better lives for the themselves and their families through the power of education.
Athena Gail Brown — Ray and Athena Brown’s daughter and the youngest of eight — accepted the honor of the family’s behalf.