For more information, contact Darnell Holopirek, 620-786-1136.

March 3, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Story by: Linda Jerke

Each year, the Barton Community College Foundation launches its Academic Enrichment Fund Campaign on March 1, designating the entire month as a time for businesses and individuals to add to their established scholarships or to create new scholarships to help students achieve their educational goals at Barton.

This year, Rob and Trisha Dove, named honorary co-chairs of the campaign, are letting the community know about their own experiences with Barton and encouraging others to get involved.

As a former chairman of Barton’s Foundation Board of Directors and having served as a board member for eight years, Rob realizes the importance of an education. Now, he’s putting his money on the line for education and is issuing a challenge to others to do the same.

Rob has announced that his business, Dove Buick Cadillac Chevrolet Pontiac Inc., Great Bend, is establishing an annual scholarship to help Barton automotive technology students pursue their education, and he challenges every business in the area to fund an annual scholarship for Barton in their own area of interest.

Just as Barton impacts his business by training automotive students who later come to work in his automotive shop, Rob says, other businesses also can benefit from the college’s training programs, and funding scholarships in their field of interest is a way to help make that happen.

“I can tell you I learned a great deal from my experiences with the Foundation, not only about funding education,” Rob said, “but also about the need to involve the entire community in supporting the college as it impacts every citizen in a positive and productive way.”

“There are very few people in the community who have not been touched by the college,” said Darnell Holopirek, Barton’s Executive Director of Institutional Advancement. Barton serves students of varying ages and the average age is 29.

Trisha knows firsthand how Barton impacts the lives of individuals in this area. She enrolled at Barton as a non-traditional student years ago, earning an associate’s degree in secretarial sciences, which helped her land a good job. A few years later, she decided to finish a four-year degree at Sterling College.

She taught sixth grade in Larned for 14 years, and during that time, she went back to earn a master’s from Friends University, taking a number of Friends courses on Barton’s campus, which helped save time and travel expenses. “I was able to work full time and still attend college classes toward my degree,” she said.

When Rob was asked to serve on the Foundation, he remembered the excitement of his parents, Dee and Lois Dove, in their involvement with bringing the college to Barton County and surrounding communities. “I remember when it was first talked about,” he said. “Many civic-minded people were involved in getting it started, primarily for the opportunities it would bring to them and their community.”

The AEF Campaign is a mail campaign in which donors give money for scholarships and endowments. The goal this year is $35,000. All contributions received go toward academic scholarships for Barton students. Theme for this year’s campaign is “Win in 2010 – Wisely Invest Now.”

“This is a call to invest in our community,” said Holopirek. “Many donors add to their endowment or annual scholarship, or some may give $20 for Barton scholarships. People can give at any time, but this is just the time of year we ask them to think about that donation.”

Holopirek named several ways people can help provide educational opportunities. People can simply give a donation or arrange to give a set amount each month. Or, if they would like to give to a particular program or department, they can designate how their contribution is used. If they want to honor someone with a memorial, they also can do it through this drive.

The more money raised by the Foundation for scholarships, the less funding will come out of the college’s operating budget, thus keeping taxes lower, she pointed out.

The Foundation generates scholarship dollars through its fund-raisers including the Big Benefit Auction and the AEF Campaign. The Foundation also has a Sporting Clay Shoot at La Sada Sporting Clays and Hunting Service near Russell to raise funds for mini grants for Barton faculty. This year’s Clay Shoot is set for April 18.

Even though the AEF Campaign is conducted by mail, anyone who would like to meet face to face with someone from the Barton Foundation is welcome to contact the Foundation Office, Holopirek said. Anyone not contacted by the AEF Campaign mailing is encouraged to contact the Foundation Office, 620-786-1136 or 620-792-9306, if they would like to donate to the academic scholarship fund.

Business 2 Business Challenge – AEF Campaign Honorary Co-Chairs and business owners Rob and Trisha issue a challenge to area businesses in support of academic scholarships to Barton Community College. Dove Buick Cadillac Chevrolet Pontiac Inc., Great Bend, established an annual scholarship during this AEF Campaign and is challenging all area business to do the same. “Every year we will give an annual scholarship in our area of interest, which is the automotive department at Barton,” explained Rob. “I issue a challenge to all the businesses in the area to come up with their own annual scholarship in the area of interest that is best for them and see if we can really kick this drive into high gear and get it going.”