YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – The Youngstown area’s oldest organization dedicated to nurses will be disbanding soon. But before going away, it’s donating what money it has left to Youngstown State University for nursing scholarships.

Wednesday afternoon, what’s left of District 3 of the Ohio Nurses Association donated $650,000 of the money it has collected and earned over the years to the YSU Centofanti School of Nursing to be used for four scholarships.

“Today is a special day as we honor those who made a tremendous impact in the past and for our current nurses and paved the way for our future nurses,” said Dr. Nancy Wagner, former director of the YSU School of Nursing.

Pictures around the room detailed some of the history of District 3. It was founded in 1918. In 1955, District 3 nurses administered polio vaccines to first and second graders. In 1960, they started free blood pressure screenings at the Canfield Fair.

“Every year, people come back and say, ‘You saved my life.’ You took my blood pressure and you told me to go see my primary doctor. I had open heart surgery and you saved my life,” said Jeannie Mulichak, president of District 3 of the Ohio Nurses Association.

As of September 29, District 3 will no longer exist because the Ohio Nurses Association no longer serves the needs of professional nurses, according to its top officials.

Special recognition was given on Wednesday to the former executive director, the late Mary Ellen Patton.

“She really was a trailblazer. She had the foresight to invest District 3 funds, the funds that were received today. Dues, medallion sales, even holiday nut sales, and you can see those results today,” Wagner said.

The Youngtown Museum of Industry and Labor, also known as the Steel Museum, will memorialize District 3 of the Ohio Nurses Association with displays, remembering the history of the organization. Once a year, they will also have continuing education at the museum.