The Patriot Foundation was started by the parents of a Parkersburg South High School Class of 2000 Graduate, Peter Sjostedt, in honor of his graduation and in recognition of the fine education that they felt their son has received wile attending PSHS.

The donors wanted a way to thank all of the teachers, administrators, and other staff members who contribute to making PSHS an excellent place for education, by creating this endowment fund. The endowed foundation provides a permanent way for loyal alumni and other citizens who take pride in PSHS to be able to give something back to their school and community.

Very few public high schools in our country are fortunate enough to receive the benefits of a permanently endowed fund. To be successful, a high school endowment requires a large base of supporters who are committed to raising the dollars needed to help the endowment grow. Income from the Parkersburg High School Foundation endowment fund, begun July 1988, and designated donations, has provided numerous substantial improvements for the high school - renovating rooms, providing resources for band and drill teams, acquiring technology and curricular materials, improving lighting and equipment, and supporting classroom teachers' special projects, to list just a few.

According to Judy and John Sjostedt, "We noticed that PHS has been well served by its Foundation, and we felt that it was time for PSHS to be positioned so that it could receive some of the same types of benefits from a permanently endowed fund. We hope that in creating The Patriot Foundation, other South supporters will see its merit as a permanent vehicle to develop resources for Parkersburg South above and beyond what public aid is able to provide."