The program was short on speeches and long on gratitude Thursday evening as the ESU Foundation played host to major donors to open a weekend of Homecoming activities.
“It’s purely to celebrate and to say ‘thank you’ to everyone involved,” Ken Hush said as he opened the brief program, held in the Sauder Alumni Center. Hush is first vice chairman of the foundation’s board of directors.
The event celebrated a decidedly successful end to the “Building Blocks for Success” campaign to raise money for scholarships. The goal was $15 million when the silent phase of the campaign began in 2002, according to Jesse Tuel, of the university advancement office; the public phase began during Homecoming 2005. When the counting ended, the total exceeded the goal substantially.
“We surpassed that goal by more than three-quarters of a million dollars,” said campaign co-chairman Art Bloomer. Bloomer was scheduled to be installed today as chairman of the foundation.
Bloomer and his co-chairmen — Sue Bloomer, Steve Sauder and Paula Sauder — worked with the development staff and a large pool of volunteers who served on special committees and took time to visit individually with alumni.
Steve Sauder used a quote from former ESU President Kay Schallenkamp to single out Sandy Kramer in recognition of her work on the campaign.
“The speed of the leader determines the speed of the pack,” Sauder said. “Our leader turned out to be Sandy Kramer.”
Schallenkamp had persuaded Kramer to become acting chief executive officer of the foundation and run the drive, Sauder said, after a resignation and a fatal accident left a void at the foundation. Kramer recently resigned to take over fundraising duties for SOS.
ESU President Mike Lane, speaking about plans to build on this campaign’s successes, drew laughter when he teased employees recently hired by the foundation.
“One of the inviolate rules found in higher education is that success brings success,” he said. “This will permit us to set a higher goal. ... It’s mostly a new staff, so they can’t be tired.”
Lane said that the money raised will benefit hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of students who will be able to choose ESU because of the scholarship money available.
That was the goal of major contributors like George Breidenthal of Kansas City, Kan.
Breidenthal had completed studies at a two-year college and was undecided where he would complete a bachelor’s degree. En route home from a trip to Mexico, he saw a sign announcing that the Byrds would be playing at Homecoming for Kansas State Teachers College. A college that could bring in one of his favorite bands sounded like a good place to settle.
“It was the best decision I ever made,” Breidenthal said. “I had really great experiences at Emporia, not only at the college, but the community ... I got so much from Emporia, not money-wise, but so much help from the staff and the community to make me a better person.”
He taught for a time, then joined his family in the banking business, where he worked his way up from teller to the top.
Breidenthal, now retired and a foundation trustee, said he donates scholarships to “help a young person reach their dreams and become successful.”
He helps non-traditional students, with families and jobs that make higher education difficult to attain, by financing scholarships for a cooperative teacher education program at Kansas City Community College, where those students earn credits from ESU.
Breidenthal, who formerly owned a women’s professional basketball team in Kansas City, also contributes to women’s basketball at Kansas State University because of a friendship with the coach. That prompted him to think of ESU.
“Why shouldn’t the women here have that opportunity — fund that as well as help with some scholarships?” he asked rhetorically.
Breidenthal also will finance two trips, including one to Hawaii, for the ESU team.
Working with the foundation on the drive has been a satisfying experience. He comes to Emporia about six times a year on foundation business, and often is here to attend ESU women’s basketball games.
And he has enjoyed the opportunity “to actually roll up your sleeves and do that kind of help,” he said of the fundraising drive.
“You’ve got to do what you can for the people that are coming up.”