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After Charles' death in May of 1989, Odette was even more determined to do something to honor those citizens involved in police work and fire protection. In 1989, Odette came upon the thought of establishing a private, charitable and perpetual trust to provide for awards and scholarships for the men and women of the St. Petersburg Police and the St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue. As her thoughts evolved, and with many helpful suggestions from the City of St. Petersburg legal staff, the police department and the fire department staffs, the dreams of Charles and Odette came to fruition. On November 5, 1990, the Patterson Charitable Trust became a reality. Forty percent of the income of the Trust is distributed to the St. Petersburg Police for scholarships to pursue academic degrees from local colleges and universities. Forty percent of the income of the Trust is distributed to the St. Petersburg Firemen and Fire Officers to pursue academic degrees from local colleges and universities. Twenty percent is distributed to the St. Petersburg Police Department to be used in the Victim's Assistance Program which assists victims of crime in recovering from the immediate trauma of those crimes. In addition to the scholarship awards, the Patterson Charitable Trust, in conjunction with The Exchange Club of St. Petersburg and The Northeast Exchange Club of St. Petersburg, provide an annual award to the Policeman of the Year and Fireman of the Year. During the term of the Patterson Trust, there have been over 281 scholarships awarded to the members of the St. Petersburg Police Department and over 160 scholarships awarded to the members of the St. Petersburg Fire Department. Odette meets, on an annual basis, with the current recipients of the awards and scholarship and thinks of all of the beneficiaries as her "Children." She is very proud of each recipient's accomplishments in the academic world and in each advancement that a recipient receives within the St. Petersburg Police and St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue. The members of the Patterson Trust Awards Selection Committee are happy to honor Odette on this thirteenth anniversary of The Charles A. and Odette W. Patterson Charitable Trust and their many contributions to the St. Petersburg community. |
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Charles and Odette Patterson had for many years
considered the question, "What
could we do for the policemen and firemen of our city who daily
place their lives on the line to keep the City of St. Petersburg
as safe as humanly possible and from the ravages of fire?"