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Darrell and Gloria Rank K9 Corps Fund

Photo from 2019: Gracie is the 3-year-old accelerant-sniffing dog in the Reading Fire Department. The Labrador’s handler is Lt. Trent Zulick. To purchase and support this dog, the fire department received $10,000 from the Darell and Gloria Rank K9 Corps Fund of Berks County Community Foundation and $6,000 from the Jay and Elaine Rosenson Fund of the Community Foundation.

Darell Rank rescues a woman from a car during the 1972 flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Agnes.

Grants support the acquisition, training, and maintenance of K9 Units that are part of Berks County governmental entities.

Darell S. Rank, the first executive of the Berks Earned Income Tax Bureau, and his wife, Gloria E. (D’Ercole) Rank, understood the importance of safety in their community. Darell Rank had his fair share of courageous moments – rescuing a woman from a car during the 1972 flood caused by Hurricane Agnes, and attempting to apprehend a suspect who assaulted a teenage girl. His eyewitness testimony was crucial evidence used for the conviction of the man, who was wanted for murder and assault in separate cases. When Gloria died at the age of 79 in 2012, her will left a majority of her estate to Berks County Community Foundation.

Berks County Chief of Police Fund

This fund supports education and training for officers of the police forces of the City of Reading and Berks County as well as members of the Berks County Sheriff’s Department.

Prevention of Child Abuse/Americanism Fund

Grants support Victim Services Center of Montgomery County for its “Keeping Touches Healthy and Safe” program; Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, Boyertown Service Unit; and Hawk Mountain Council for Boy Scouts, Boyertown Area.

Boyer Foundation Fund

Grants support Boyertown-area health, social, recreational and safety organizations, in memory of Daniel and Blanche Boyer.

Friends of the Reading Police K9 Unit Fund

Distributions from this fund may be made for the acquisition, training, and ongoing maintenance of the K9 Unit for the City of Reading Police Department.