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Community Foundation Awards 25 Scholarships to Area Students - May 07, 2009
May 7, 2009 (Wamego, KS) — “If you could be any household appliance, what would you be and why?” was just one of the several essay topics that students were asked to write when applying for scholarships with the Wamego Community Foundation (WCF). The recipient of this particular scholarship, which was created by the WHS Class of 2005, was Kasey Delay, who wrote that she would be a coffee pot.
Twenty-five high school seniors from six area schools, two USD 320 Teachers of the Year, and two Outstanding Community Supporters were honored last night at the 10th annual WCF scholarship awards banquet. Nearly 150 individuals, including the scholarship recipients, their families, and scholarship benefactors, attended the event, which was held at the Wamego Middle School. The Kansas Rural Communities Foundation (KRCF), a co-sponsor of this year’s event, awarded three of the scholarships to area students.
The following students were presented with scholarships (asterisk denotes a KRCF scholarship):
Wamego High School
Hillary Dreher, Gaylord Belton Memorial Scholarship
Nickolas Hartwich, Jeff Birney (Fox) Memorial Scholarship
Andrew Kiker, Kevin Dekat Memorial Jazz Scholarship
Nichole Standlee, Sue Eichman Education Fund Scholarship
Jacob Mueller, Helm Sisters Memorial Scholarship
Amelia Fosen, Gus Hildebrand Memorial Scholarship
Russell Jackson, Hilliard Family Memorial Scholarship
Charles “CJ” Barden Jr., John Lawless Memorial Scholarship
Jameson Eichman, R-Tech Tool & Machine Scholarship
Benjamin Chmiel, Rebecca Sester Memorial Scholarship
Megan Salfrank, Teresa Siebert Memorial Scholarship
Kayla Woerman, Wamego City Hospital Scholarship
Honesty Cohorst, Wamego City Hospital Scholarship
Elyse Pachta, Wamego Community Scholarship
Jessica White, Wamego High School Class of 1968 Scholarship
Kasey Delay, Wamego High School Class of 2005 Scholarship
Kristopher Velasco, Wamego Telephone Company Scholarship
Rock Creek High School
Megan Jilka, Gus Hildebrand Memorial Scholarship
Brian Sixbury, Wamego Telephone Company Scholarship
Rossville High School
Spencer Askren, Pete Darting Memorial Scholarship*
St. Marys Academy
Regina Palmeri, Wamego Telephone Company Scholarship
St. Marys High School
Morgan Plummer, St. Marys Masonic Memorial Scholarship*
Jami Rafferty, Wamego Telephone Company Scholarship
Wabaunsee High School
Will Cravens, R-Tech Tool & Machine Scholarship*
Cheyenne Thompson, Wamego Telephone Company Scholarship
Master of Ceremonies was Doug Springer, WCF and KRCF president, and invocation was given by Pastor Jim Kiker. Mike Rice presented the Wamego Telephone Company scholarships; John Broberg presented the Wamego City Hospital scholarships; Rod Brown presented the Pete Darting Memorial Scholarship; and René Eichem, executive director of the WCF and KRCF, presented the remaining scholarships.
During the awards ceremony, Angie McCune was recognized as the USD 320 K-5 Teacher of the Year, and Troy Hemphill was recognized as the USD 320 6-12 Teacher of the Year. Bill Baxter and Edna Mae Peddicord were both honored in absentia as Outstanding Community Supporters.
The WHS High Voltage choir, under the direction of Josh Wildin, provided the music; WHS Culinary Arts students, under the direction of Marsha Brooks, served dinner; and WHS Art students, under the direction of Hannah Merle, and Whirling Earth Gallery provided pottery and other artwork for the table centerpieces. The Flower Mill provided potted plants for the registration table and the stage, and the meal was catered by Friendship House.
Table sponsorships and donations helped offset the cost of the event as well as provided complimentary tickets for scholarship recipients and their guests. Table sponsors were Bennington State Bank, First National Bank of Wamego, Kaw Valley State Bank and Trust, Farm Bureau Financial Services, Kansas Rural Communities Foundation, Terry Force Land Surveying, Midwest Concrete Materials, Pottawatomie County Economic Development, R-Tech Tool and Machine, Ruth Siebert and family, USD 320, Wamego City Hospital, and Wamego Telecommunications Company. Individual donors were CR and Cindy Worthing, Edna Mae Peddicord, Marilyn and Ira Reznick, Becky and Dirk Riniker, and Stan and Susan Symons.
The event planning committee consisted of Becky Riniker, chair; Mary Kaye Siebert; Jaque Eichman; and Margaret Peterson. Also assisting were Eric Artzer, Lisa Diederich, Pam Fulmer, Norm Huse, Donna Johnson, Mike Rice, Rachelle Routh, Susan Symons, and Alberta Uhlrich.
Springer noted that since its inception in 1998, the WCF has received approximately $1.3 million in gifts and donations and distributed back more than $600,000 to the community, including toward scholarships, the Wam-Sag-Man recreation trail, the Wamego City Park Train Enhancement Project, and the Friends of the Park, just to name a few. Springer also noted that the KRCF was founded in 2006 and is serving rural communities throughout the state, including Admire, Alma, Belvue, Blue Valley (Olsburg and Randolph), Havensville, Norton, Onaga, St. George, St. Marys, Westmoreland, and Wheaton.
The formation of the two community foundations as 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporations created efficient mechanisms through which individuals, families, corporations, nonprofit organizations, and private foundations have been able to create funds and make gifts to benefit their communities.
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For more information, please contact:
René Eichem, executive director
Wamego Community Foundation | Kansas Rural Communities Foundation
1004 Lincoln Ave. | P.O. Box 25
Wamego, KS 66547
P: 785-456-8444 | F: 785-456-8443
| Wamego Community Foundation • PO Box 25 • Wamego KS 66547 • P: 785-456-8444 • F: 785-456-8443 • E-mail |