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Future Investment – Senior
Vice President of Landmark National Bank, Great Bend, Lois
McLeland (far right) presents a $500 check to La Oportunidad
fund-raising committee member Michael Espinosa and Barton
County Community College Institutional Advancement Director
Darnell Holopirek (center). Also in the photo are left to
right, Susan Stricker, Landmark administrative officer, and
bilingual teller Martha Bujanda. “When you have a bilingual
employee, the Hispanic customers will come because they feel
they can express exactly the service they want,” said
McLeland. |
For
more information, contact Darnell Holopirek, 620-792-9367.
February 8, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Story by: Michael Dawes
dawesm@bartonccc.edu
Landmark National Bank Donates To
La Oportunidad Fund
Landmark National Bank, Great Bend, donated $500 to the La
Oportunidad Fund today (Wednesday) for an annually funded
scholarship to be awarded to a Hispanic student attending
Barton County Community College.
“It allows those who are a part
of our community and want to go to college the opportunity
to achieve that goal,” said Landmark Senior Vice President
Lois McLeland about why her company donated the scholarship
aid. |
La Oportunidad Fund provides financial-need-based
scholarship assistance to Hispanic students in the community. A
scholarship endowment portion of the fund was established two years
ago, but La Oportunidad also raises funds and accepts donations
to support annually funded scholarships. Both the endowment and
annually funded award have been developed to help area Hispanic
traditional and non-traditional students attend college for completion
of degrees or other certificate programs.
McLeland knows the importance of the scholarship fund firsthand.
Landmark has employed bilingual teller Martha Bujanda for three
years and she has provided an invaluable service to Spanish-speaking
customers as well as attracted new customers, said McLeland.
“As the Hispanic population increases, we are always looking
for bilingual people in our workforce,” said McLeland. “You
have to provide that service as part of your business now. It’s
just an important part of our community and Landmark is glad to
contribute.”
McLeland presented Landmark’s check to Barton Institutional
Advancement Director Darnell Holopirek and to La Oportunidad fund-raising
committee member Michael Espinosa. In addition to donations from
the banking industry, the endowment and annual funds have grown
from donations by businesses involved in insurance, news, fitness,
restaurant, health care and manufacturing, as well as through group
and individual donations.
“Working together in our community like we have, we’ve
proven that this type of effort is effective in making a difference
for people,” said Espinosa. “The most positive aspect
of this whole effort is that it has been community wide. Everyone
is able to participate in some way. When we get the bigger donations,
we can do more with scholarships, but we are also happy to receive
the smaller donations because it all goes toward scholarship aid.”
The first La Oportunidad annually funded scholarships were given
to three students this semester in awards of $500 and $250, Holopirek
reported
All businesses and people wanting to contribute to La Oportunidad
Fund can call the BCCC Foundation Office, 620-792-9367, or e-mail
the office at holopirekd@bartonccc.edu
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