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2009 WHS Valedictorian and Salutatorian Receive Pickering Awards from Wamego Community Foundation - July 30, 2009
(July 30, 2009) Wamego, KS — In recognition of their high academic achievements, Hillary Dreher, Wamego High School class of 2009 valedictorian, and Kristopher Velasco, WHS 2009 salutatorian, are recipients of the annual Pickering Award from the Wamego Community Foundation.
Dreher, the daughter of Richard and Robyn Dreher of Wamego, will be attending Kansas State University, where she plans to major in architectural engineering. Velasco, the son of Kelley Velasco, Louisville, is enrolled at the University of Kansas where he has been accepted into the honors program and plans a triple major in political science, Spanish, and European studies with a minor in philosophy.
The Pickering Award Fund was established in 1984 by the children of B.C. and Vera Pickering in honor of their parents. The Pickerings were long-time residents of Wamego, where B.C. practiced law for many years. Originally created as a Trust and held at the Kaw Valley State Bank, the family transferred the funds to the Community Foundation in 2000. The Foundation oversees the administration of the endowed fund and annually distributes the fund’s earnings to the valedictorian and salutatorian of Wamego High School.
Since its inception in 1998 as a 501(c)(3), the Foundation has received approximately $1.3 million in gifts and donations and has distributed back more than $600,000 to the community, including toward area scholarships, the Wamego City Park Train Enhancement Project, Community Health Ministries, Pottawatomie County Caring Hearts Humane Society, and the Pottawatomie County Recycling Program, just to name a few.
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For more information, please contact:
René Eichem, executive director
Wamego Community Foundation
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 |