The Carbon County Community Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of the Ron Hydro Outstanding Athlete Award Fund, an endowed scholarship honoring the legacy of Ron Hydro, a distinguished Jim Thorpe Area School District graduate, veteran, and retired Pennsylvania State Police officer.
The award was endowed in April 2026 by Ryan Hydro and his wife, Sheila, in celebration of Ron Hydro’s upcoming 80th birthday. The fund awards an annual scholarship of $500 to a graduating senior from Jim Thorpe Area School District who is a starting member of the JTAHS boys’ basketball team and has demonstrated a commitment to community service.
Ron Hydro
Ron Hydro is a 1964 Jim Thorpe Area School District graduate who was a starting member of both the 1963 Pennsylvania State Championship Class C Runner Up team and the 1964 basketball team. Following graduation, he served in the U.S. Army before embarking on a 27-year career with the Pennsylvania State Police, where he attained the rank of Sergeant and Station Commander.
“My wife and I wanted to do something unique and special for my Dad’s upcoming 80th birthday in October and thought — what better way to honor him than through an endowed scholarship award that will help future generations of JTAHS scholar athletes!” said Ryan Hydro. “As a lifelong Jim Thorpe resident, my Dad always looks back to his days of playing sports and roaming the halls at JTAHS as some of the best days of his life. Following his high school graduation, and after serving in the U.S. Army, he dedicated himself to protecting the citizens of Pennsylvania in his distinguished career with the PA State Police. If just one of the recipients of the ‘Ron Hydro Outstanding Athlete Award’ over the years ends up accomplishing half of what my Dad has accomplished in life, endowing this award will have been worthwhile.”
Ron Hydro with Caiden Hodor, a 2026 graduate of Jim Thorpe and the inaugural recipient of the Ron Hydro Oustanding Athlete Award.
The inaugural recipient of the Ron Hydro Outstanding Athlete Award is Caiden Hodor, who was recognized at the Jim Thorpe Area High School Senior Awards Night on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. Caiden plans to attend Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, where he will major in biology and philosophy. His long-term goals include a career in veterinary medicine, with an emphasis on wildlife biology, bioethics, and environmental or public policy. Caiden was selected to receive the award by the scholarship committee at Jim Thorpe Area High School.
“We are honored to steward a fund that celebrates both athletic achievement and a life of service to others,” said Sharon Alexander, President of the Carbon County Community Foundation. “The Ron Hydro Outstanding Athlete Award is a wonderful tribute to a man who has given so much to this community, and we look forward to supporting future generations of Jim Thorpe scholar athletes in his name.”
About Scholarship Funds
Scholarship Funds are generally the most popular type held at a Community Foundation. These funds support the pursuits of students at different levels of education, and can be established to promote a certain career or industry, acknowledging a special school or community, or honor the memory of loved ones.
Setting up a fund is easy and takes less time than opening a bank account. Donors make a contribution of personal assets (cash, stock, real estate and more) to establish the fund and receive an immediate tax deduction. Once you name your fund and define the guidelines for scholarship recipients, we will administer the scholarship applications each year and will work with you and a committee to pick the recipients.
If you are interested in learning more about setting up a scholarship or other type of fund at Carbon County Community Foundation, please contact us at 610-730-2526 or director@cccfoundpa.org.