The United Way of Central Kansas honored their Pacesetter Businesses on Tuesday with a luncheon and awards hosted at the Best Western Courtyard in Great Bend. Each year, UWCK calculates the Top 15 business donors in Barton and Pawnee Counties. These totals include the Workplace Giving Campaigns, sponsorships, and volunteerism.
The Top 3 Workplace Campaigns were awarded to:
- Gold Overall-ONEOK, Inc.
- Silver Overall-Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball
- Bronze Overall-Dillons
Rounding out the Top 15 were:
- Benefit Management, LLC
- City of Great Bend
- CUNA Mutual Retirement Solutions
- Farmers Bank & Trust
- Great Bend COOP
- Larned State Hospital
- Marmie’s Auto Group
- Midwest Energy
- Northern Natural Gas
- Superior Essex
- USD 428
- Venture Corporation
To even the playing field between large and small businesses, UWCK also recognizes the Top 3 Per Capita Businesses. Those businesses were:
- Gold-Spectrum CPA Partnership
- Silver-Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball
- Bronze-Northern Natural Gas
The United Way of Central Kansas also honored businesses who increased their giving and involvement with UWCK over the last year.
- Highest Percentage Change-Sunflower Bank with a 117% increase from the prior year due to their increase in Workplace Giving and their involvement and sponsorship of Reality U.
- Outstanding Workplace Campaign-Larned State Hospital for their renewed motivation to support UWCK through a Donut Fundraiser with Mitchell’s Bakery and increased giving through their Workplace Campaign.
- Also recognized was a couple who embodies the mission of United Way. They not only give funds to support the cause, but support through time, and by setting an example of mobilizing the community to advance the common good. They not only support UWCK, but many of our Community Partners. This couple is Barry & Monica Bowers. They were honored with the Leadership Award for being the epitome of what UWCK strives to do.
The final award of the day was sponsored by Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers in the form of the Mobile Sundae Bar. Five businesses had 100% participation in their Workplace Giving Campaigns and were entered in a drawing to win the Sundae Bar prize. The businesses entered were:
- Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball
- Great Bend Children’s Learning Center
- Keller Real Estate
- Marmie’s Auto Group
- Spectrum CPA Partnership
The winner was Great Bend Children’s Learning Center.
Those honored today raised nearly $100,000 for UWCK in the 2019 Campaign. Without these generous business owners and employees, UWCK would not be able to support our 22 Community Partners and our Community Impact Programs.