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E-mail this George and Frances Tregellas |
For more information, contact Darnell Holopirek, 620-792-9367.
Old Bill to Raise Funds for Tregellas Honorarium at Big Benefit Auction Each year for the past four years, the Barton
County Community College Foundation has named an honorarium for
individuals who have generously supported the college. The old buffalo
head known as “Old Bill” helps raise funds for the honorarium
scholarship. |
| With the theme, “Star-Spangled Night,”
the event will include a silent auction at 6 p.m. followed by the
live auction at 7 p.m. A dance is planned from 9 p.m. to midnight
featuring disc jockey Bobby Wild playing music from the ’60s
and ’70s. George has been supportive of community college since he earned an associate’s degree from Pratt Community College in 1941. “Community college has always meant a lot to me since that’s where I got my education,” he said. “I was involved with the Foundation since its beginning and have always supported it.” He has served Barton with his time and philanthropy for more than 30 years. He was elected to Barton’s Board of Trustees in 1979 and became vice chairman four years later. He served as chairman of the trustees for seven years before retiring from the board in 1998. During his service on the board, he also was a delegate to the Kansas Association of Community Colleges, and was appointed to the Governor’s Community College Advisory Council in 1986 and 1989. George established an endowed music scholarship as a memorial to his wife, Cleo, after her death in 1997. The Tregellas family and the BCCC Foundation together established the Tregellas/Chairman’s Scholarship Endowment in 1999 in response to the need for financial assistance for deserving non-traditional students. “Naming the endowed fund after George Tregellas was in recognition of his long-standing commitment to the college as a trustee for 20 years,” said Darnell Holopirek, executive director of Institutional Advancement. George’s son, Michael, pledged to match each current contribution up to $10,000, on a dollar-for-dollar basis. The Tregellas/Chairman’s Scholarship signifies George’s commitment to the college and his support for the Foundation. “I’m proud of the Foundation and of the people in this community who have supported it,” he said. George came to Great Bend in 1943 and was a self-employed dirt contractor for 40 years before selling his business to Allen Drilling Co. in 1981. He was a supervisor for Allen Drilling until his retirement in 1991. A member of First United Methodist Church in Great Bend for 65 years, George served on the church’s board of trustees. He also served as president of the Great Bend Petroleum Club and was a 50-year member of Masonic Lodge in Great Bend, Salina Consistory and Elks Club. His wife, Frances, grew up in Great Bend and was owner of Glenn’s Electric until she retired. She was active in Soroptimist Club of Great Bend and was a member of Beta Sigma Phi sorority. The Tregellases have enjoyed traveling during the past eight years and hope to return from a European cruise and tour of London in time to travel to Great Bend for the Foundation’s Big Benefit Auction Aug. 26 to support the Honorarium. The Tregellas honorarium will be used for one-time academic scholarships for Barton students in 2007-08. In keeping with Old Bill’s successful push in the past to raise funds for the honorarium scholarship, bids will be accepted in increments of $50 or more, said Holopirek. All of the money raised will go into the general fund to be used for students’ academic scholarships. Other community members honored in the two previous years with the honorarium scholarship include Jim and Jo Heaton, Dale and Donna Oliver and Don and Phyllis Whelan. The first “Old Bill” honorarium in 2002 was an endowment honoring the late Dr. Jimmie Downing, past Barton president, with earnings from his endowment used for future Shafer Gallery endeavors related to education, art acquisitions and upgrading technology. Tickets are $25 a piece. People can purchase a table that seats eight for $200 and sit with friends, employees and business associates during the event. Purchase tickets by contacting the BCCC Foundation office, 620-792-9306. Tickets will not be sold at the door the night of the event. |