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05/18/2003 Archived Entry: "Sara Soukup and the Foundation"

SARA SOUKUP AND THE SMOKY HILLS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

Yesterday at the Citizens State Bank, the Ellsworth-based Smoky Hills Charitable Foundation awarded $2,500 in grants to four local groups.

The Foundation, now three years old, is affiliated with the Greater Salina Community Foundation and has $390,000 in assets and $110,000 in unrestricted funds, according to Sara Soukup, Foundation chairman.

The mission of the Foundation is to enhance quality of life in and around Ellsworth County, both today and in the future by:

*enabling donors to fulfill their charitable desires
*building a permanent endowment
*facilitating prudent management and care of funds
*meeting needs through grants, awards and scholarships

The Founders include: Anonymous, Citizens State Bank and Trust, H & B Communications, Doc and Lu Jarus, Imo Sundin Trust, Randy and Judy S. Mills, Stumps Charitable Trust, Donald Hunter, Kirkham Michael and Associates, Mr. and Mrs. Don Kozisek and Jon and Pat Mollhagen.

The first awards being made by this group went to:

Post Rock Opportunity Foundation, Wilson, for $1,000 to buy 40,000 rack cards that will be placed in restaurants, hotels and tourist centers along Interstate Highway 70.

Ellsworth County Historical Society, $500, to help restore the Fort Harker Junior Officers' Quarters built in 1867 in Kanopolis. It will be used for historic relics and memorabilia and community meetings.

Ellsworth Area Arts Council, $500, for a wood-carving extravaganza with Stu Martin, a carver from Goddard. He will give a workshop for local area wood-carvers.

Quivira Heights Elementary and Junior High School, $500, to bring in Dr. Nolan Carlson, a Kansas author, to speak to the students. Some of Carlson's book also will be purchased for the school library.

Rani Haun and Camille Wehling each received a college scholarship of $500 from the Eleanor Hunter Scholarship Fund.

Also Friday, Sara Soukup announced that a check in the amount of $30,000 from the estate of Joyce Nagel, Holyrood, was presented to the Foundation. Twenty-five thousand dollars will go into a fund to benefit health care, education and youth recreation programs in Ellsworth County, and $5,000 will be put in an unrestricted fund.

The Board of Directors for the Fund include, in addition to Sara Soukup, Dave Brownback, David Hand, Eleanor Hunter, Rob Koch, Jon Mollhagen, Cherie Sauers, Alice Macek and Don Kozisek.

Russell County Area Community Foundation, Cloud County and the Smoky Valley Community Foundation of Lindsborg are also affiliates of the Greater Salina Community Foundation.

No gift is too small to give to this very worthwhile Foundation. Even a gift of $1.00 can be made to an existing fund. That is what makes this truly a community foundation.

USD #327 Student Benefit Fund
USD #328 Student Benefit Fund
J.H. Robbins Memorial Library Fund
Unrestricted Fund
Eleanor Hunter Scholarship Fund

Other component funds:
First Bank Kansas Fund
Imo Sundin Trust, Randy V. and Judy S. Mills

If you wish to contribute, please make your check payable to: Smoky Hill Charitable Foundation and mail it to: Dave Brownback, president, Citizens State Bank and Trust, Ellsworth KS 67439

A gift in any amount would be very much appreciated.