VALENTINE, Neb. - The Sandhills Area Foundation has received a nearly $500,000 donation from the estate of the late Michael Davenport. The foundation’s finance committee is currently exploring ways to maximize the impact of the donation, with plans to possibly use the money for scholarships for local students pursuing higher education and to support projects that address critical community needs.

Though Davenport didn’t spend most of his life in the Valentine area, he moved to the small Nebraska town to care for his parents, Wade and Pauline Davenport. After their passing, he continued to live in Valentine until his own death in May 2023.

Michaels’s grandpa, Clyde, also founded the Nebraska State Bank of Valentine in 1915.

“Michael’s generous gift from his estate will continue his long-lasting connection with Valentine via his love for his parents and especially from him and his sensitive and generous heart,” a press release from the Sandhills Area Foundation reads.

The foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports a wide range of causes, including education, community development, arts and culture, and health initiatives across the Sandhills region of Nebraska.