The Mahone Foundation is proud to announce that Kathleen and Peter Barca have been chosen to receive the 2026 Shebaniah B. Judah Signature Award.
“Peter and Kathleen Barca have dedicated themselves to service leadership in our community, as well as total support and advocacy of my parents’ vision to make education more accessible,” said Tim Mahone, chairman of the Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone Foundation. “Peter and Kathleen worked side by side with my mom on many community initiatives, and I am grateful for their ongoing support of the Mahone Foundation. I applaud the committee’s selection to honor Kathleen and Peter with the Shebaniah B. Judah Signature Award.”
The award will be presented during the 26th Reaching for Rainbows “Pursuit of Excellence” Scholarship Gala on Friday, May 8, at Carthage College. In 2018, the Mahone Foundation Signature Award was named for Shebaniah Judah. Judah helped the Mahone Foundation establish the Career Exploration Organization, a program aimed at closing the achievement gap between minority students and their white counterparts by forging connections with internships, scholarships, and post-high school opportunities.
“For Kathleen and Peter Barca to be the 2026 recipients is truly special,” said Judah, executive director of Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services Inc., and a past recipient of the Mahone Foundation Signature Award. “My career has been devoted to education and making sure the opportunities that come with education are available to all. Kathleen and Peter share that commitment, as did Mary Lou and Arthur Mahone.”
Kathleen Barca
Kathleen Barca has dedicated her life to educating children and youth in many capacities. She served on several boards, including the Mary Lou & Arthur F. Mahone Foundation, the Alcohol and Drug Council, and the United Way. She also helped to create the Youth in Government Program. Kathleen was an assistant superintendent of schools and completed her career in the Department of Education at Carthage College.
Peter Barca
Peter Barca represented the Kenosha and Racine area in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Wisconsin State Assembly. In 2019, Gov. Tony Evers appointed Peter Barca to his Cabinet as Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Secretary Barca was also a co-founder of the International Society for Cardiovascular Translational Research, served on the UW-Parkside Foundation Board, and was the director of the Friendship Camp, a camp for children with disabilities.
Kathleen Barca called it an honor to be involved with the Mahone Foundation since it was created in 1999 to continue the legacy of Mary Lou and Arthur Mahone. Peter Barca added, “This impressive organization has turned dreams into reality through enhanced access to education for hundreds of young people in our Kenosha and Racine communities.”
Reaching for Rainbows “Pursuit of Excellence” Scholarship Gala will be held Friday, May 8, at the N.E. Tarble Athletic and Recreation Center (TARC) on the campus of Carthage College in Kenosha. The evening’s festivities begin with a reception at 5 p.m., followed by the dinner and scholarship awards program.
Scholarship Gala tickets are $80 per person and can be purchased at the Mahone Foundation website www.mahonefund.org or by contacting chairman@mahonefund.org. Opportunities for event sponsorship and program advertising can also be found at the Mahone Foundation website. In addition to the Shebaniah B. Judah Signature Award and the Dr. Bryan Albrecht Living Legend Award, Mahone Foundation Career Exploration Organization (CEO) scholarships, along with Herzing University and Carthage College scholarships, will be awarded to high school students from Kenosha and Racine at the gala.
Reaching for Rainbows and Mahone Foundation CEO scholarships honor the inspiring legacy of Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone. The Mahone Foundation’s mission supports the educational goals of students and continues to provide educational opportunities for economically and academically deserving youth while supporting healthy lifestyle initiatives in communities of color.
To ensure ongoing positive community impact, the United Way of Kenosha County serves as the Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone Foundation fiscal sponsor to help broaden horizons and expand services.
In support of its mission, the Mahone Foundation also presents the popular Lincoln Park Live Music Series each summer, the Harbor Park Jazz, Rhythm and Blues Festival on Kenosha’s lakefront, and the PowerUp: College and Resource Fair.
About the Mary Lou & Arthur F. Mahone Foundation
The Mary Lou & Arthur F. Mahone Foundation‘s mission is to provide educational opportunities for economically and academically deserving youth while supporting healthy lifestyle initiatives in communities of color.
