February 24, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Story by: Linda Jerke

Larry and Kathy Schugart have supported Barton Community College in many ways from the beginning. Continuing their support, they will help launch the Barton Foundation’s 2011 Academic Enrichment Fund Campaign on March 1 as honorary co-chairs of the event. The month-long annual campaign raises money for academic scholarships for Barton students and programs.

As they lead the campaign, the Schugarts talk about the benefits the college offers their community. They experienced these benefits firsthand as they watched two daughters and two sons start their college educations at Barton before transferring and earning degrees from four-year universities.

“We very much appreciated the fact that they were able to start their education at Barton County, live at home and have more time to grow in maturity before facing the world on their own,” Kathy said. “Today, we have four wonderful adult children with their own families.”

Both Great Bend natives, the Schugarts began supporting the college during its early years. Larry was one of the originators of Barton’s Cougar Booster Club many years ago and he was the first full-year president of the club.

At that time, he worked for People’s Savings and Loan Association, and still is associated with the bank, now named Landmark National Bank. All of the banks in the area were very helpful in establishing the college in Barton County, he recalled.

The banks have also assisted many Barton students by offering opportunities for part-time jobs. “I can’t tell you how many people we’ve hired over the years that were students first and then came on board to work full time later on,” he said. “We’re still fortunate that we can have students to draw from as part-timers in the bank today.”

As AEF Campaign co-chairs, the Schugarts will be sending a letter to businesses and individuals encouraging them to think about giving an endowed scholarship or adding to one they have already established to help students with their education. “It means good education for our citizenry, our children, our grandchildren,” Larry said.

Theme of the campaign this year is “Many Dreams, One Vision.” “If you take 10 students and put them in a room, every one of them is going to have a different reason why they’re here, what they want to happen for their future,” said Darnell Holopirek, Barton’s Executive Director of Institutional Advancement. “They have dreams; the college can give them one vision. We’re here to educate them.

Whatever they have the willingness to do, the college has the willingness to teach, and train them so they can better themselves, but we need the funds to do that.”

With today’s uncertain economy, Holopirek said, people are taking a different look at where they’re going to educate their children, and some parents and grandparents realize they need to help other students just as their children were helped.

Barton is educating not only traditional students coming out of high school, but also non-traditional students, some who have been in the workforce, but have lost a job and are looking at retraining for a different job, Holopirek said. The Schugarts’ letter will remind businesses and individuals that scholarships are a good way to help these students, she pointed out.

Businesses or individuals who would like to establish a scholarship can set their own criteria. “If they’re oriented toward a particular field, we’ll help them set up a scholarship in that field,” Holopirek said.

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Larry and Kathy Schugart

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The Foundation has set this year’s AEF Campaign goal for $40,000. People can donate any amount of money by contacting Holopirek at the college, 620-792-9367, or they can send a check addressed to the Barton Community College Foundation, 245 NE 30 Rd., Great Bend, KS 67530. They also can donate online through the Foundation website: bartonccfoundation.org. The navigation will lead them through the steps to give to any department they wish to support.

“Sometimes people feel they have to give big money,” Holopirek said. “But I want them to know that even $20 can help. We can put a lot of $20 together and make a nice scholarship for our students.”

People can support the college in other ways as well. The Schugarts recently helped the college renovate its library, now called the Learning Resource Center. Many people don’t realize how many ways they can help. Soon people will have the opportunity to help the college renovate its Fine Arts Auditorium, which will improve both student and community experiences with the arts.

“We have noticed many talented people in our community who give their time to create an atmosphere for the arts,” Kathy said. “All of us like to go and enjoy the performances. It’s nice to have this option.” As members of the college’s Silver Cougar Club, she and her husband have enjoyed special opportunities to attend various events, in addition to the Shafer Gallery exhibits the college offers.

“The Foundation is here to help the college, but also to let our donors give where they want and feel good about giving,” Holopirek said. “If we can help you with your philanthropic ideas, we would love to do that.”

Those contributions continue to help the college’s progress and growth. “Kathy and I visited with Darnell about this when we were doing some planning, Larry said. “When I see how much the college has grown over the years, I can’t believe how far we’ve come.”

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Click the prompt below to listen to the AEF Campaign radio interview on Cougar Pause radio program.