Sunflower Bank

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Spring 2008
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It’s spring again, though it has been playing
hard-to-get this year. On behalf of the entire
Sunflower Bank family, I want to contribute the
seeds of perennial pride and optimism to our
community gardens.
As community bankers who are deeply involved
in shaping the future of our communities
through volunteerism and civic engagement, we
see the deep roots of these great places.
While we know the future lies in the hands of today’s youth, that
future is shaped by the great leaders of today who tend, prune
and cultivate the future. With economic hardship around the
country in the daily news, we believe the resilience demonstrated
in our communities reflects the discipline that comes from a cultivation mindset that looks toward our future.
The possibilities are endless, and so, we tend our community
gardens – planting both for today’s pleasure and tomorrow’s
necessities.
Mollie Carter,
President and CEO
Sunflower Bank, N.A.
Sunflower Bank employees, including CEO Mollie Carter, Hays President
Dale Gottschalk, Executive Vice President Sandy Jacobs, and Branch
Manager Chris Riedel snip the ribbon at Hays North on opening day.
Hays location at 48th
and Vine now open!
S
unflowe r
Bank cut the ribbon
on Monday, March 31
at its newest full-service
facility – welcoming customers
and the Ellis County community to the new Hays North
location at 48th and Vine.
In fact, the Hays staff celebrated
with a banner Wii-k, giving
away a popular Nintendo Wii
video game console to a lucky
customer at the close of a
monthlong contest highlighting
the new move. Other winners
took home iPods, gift baskets,
and even extra cash from the
bank’s ATM!
Located just north of Interstate
70 and Roth Plaza, the North
facility features safe deposit
Continued on page 6
Softball Showcase
approaches
C
member fdic
C o r p o r at e
Office
2090 South Ohio
P.O. Box 800
Salina, Kansas 67402-0800
Tel (785) 827-5564
Toll Free (888) 827-5564
www.sunflowerbank.com
Kansas
• Colby • Dodge City
• Ellinwood
• Great Bend • Hays
• Junction City
• Lawrence • LIBERAL
• Manhattan
• McPherson • Osborne
• Russell • Salina • topeka
• Victoria • Wichita
Colorado
• Cañon City • Monte vista
• PUEBLO • Salida
• South Fork
Sunflower
Insurance
Group
• SALINA
• GREAT BEND
• Hutchinson
• Wichita
Sunflower
Insurance
Group of
Colorado
• cañon city
• buena vista
• Salida
Any investments made through Sunflower
Insurance Group are not considered a deposit,
not FDIC insured, not guaranteed by
Sunflower Bank, and may go down in value.
lass of 2009
high school softball
players – now is your
chance to apply for the Softball
Showcase, on Aug. 8 and 9 in
Salina, Kansas!
The Softball Showcase,
sanctioned by the North
American Fastpitch Association,
is a chance for high school girls
to gain valuable game experience and attract the attention
of college coaches from around
Kansas.
The tenth annual event begins
Friday, August 8 at 6 p.m. at
Salina South High School with
a kick-off dinner for players
and families. The round-robin
slate of games starts at 8 a.m.
Saturday, Aug. 9 at the Bill
Burke Softball Complex
in Salina. Also, The North
American Fastpitch Association
offers a chance for players to
earn college scholarships.
Apply today! Visit
sunflowerbank.com to learn
more! Applications and fees
are due by July 18.
We’ll see you in
August at the
Softball
Showcase!
Inside:
Meet Sunflower
Bank’s Community
Ambassadors...Page 4
Leadership: On & Off
the Field...Page 2
2 | s u n f low e r B A N K
Student-athlete summit
convenes in Wichita
Pancake flippin’
in the San Luis Valley
Students from schools throughout Kansas, from Hugoton to
Asheville, met at the Hall of
Fame and the Warren Theater
in Old Town Wichita. Nearly
200 students broke into five
teams, participating in various
workshop competitions and
competing against one another – emphasizing the value of
sportsmanship and leadership
and how to transfer the two
skills into life off the field.
Cold and snow didn’t deter
the local farmers, ranchers and
businesses from participating
in the annual event, featuring
production and management
strategies, the latest local and
regional research information
and an opportunity to gather
S
u n f lower
Bank, The Kansas Youth
Leadership Academy
and the Kansas Sports Hall of
Fame teamed up in March for
the second year of Leadership:
On & Off the Field – a unique
two-day workshop for highschool student-athletes.
Keynote speakers Jackie Stiles,
former Claflin, Kan., Missouri
State and WNBA star, and Rob
Miller, director of the NAIA’s
Champions of Character, spoke
to general sessions of the students. Stiles highlighted persistence and work ethic, while
Miller delivered a dynamic
message about sportsmanship.
Fort Hays State quarterback Shane
Jackson and Sunflower Bank’s Angie
Huggard rally a team of students.
“The conference is a unique
experience not only for young
people, but for the community,
the coaches, and the volun-
Former Claflin and Missouri State
basketball star Jackie Stiles signs
autographs.
teers,” said Sunflower Bank’s
Becky Pfeifer, a facilitator for
the event. “Encouraging young
people to be the best leader
they can be is extremely important, and I’m glad to be a part
of it.”
The conference featured allnew curriculum in its second
year, and also incorporated
portions of the Kansas Sports
Hall of Fame’s Nazi Olympics
exhibit – a Smithsonian traveling display highlighting the
pivotal 1936 games in Berlin,
Germany.
The KYLA relies on a team of
Sunflower Bank volunteers and
an undergraduate and graduate staff of students at Fort Hays
State University to facilitate the
event. This spring’s crew included Pfeifer, John Hanley (Salina),
Angie Huggard (McPherson),
Jack Dennis (Hays), Desirée
Friess (Hays), Jordan Baltazor
(Salina) and Crystal Hervey
(Wichita). The fall Topeka
conference will take place
November!
O
n Valentine’s
Day, Monte Vista
employees braved the
cold (15 below!) and several
inches of snow on the ground,
at 5:30 a.m. to cook breakfast
for 200 hungry attendees at
the annual San Luis Valley Ag
Conference.
information on other new
products and important issues.
Every morning, local businesses
volunteered to feed the hungry
attendees breakfast – quite a
chore in the bitter cold!
Don Krieger and Darrell Pabst
manned the grill, flipping flapjacks.
Valentine’s lunch a real
treat for Hays seniors
S
unflowe r
Bank Hays’ Volunteer
Committee went to
Cedar View Assisted Living
Center on February 14 for a
Valentine’s Day visit and to serve
lunch to the 44 residents.
Each resident received a written
Valentine’s card, snow globe, and
a BIG smile to brighten
their day. All were compliments of Sunflower Bank
Hays.
Musical entertainment
was provided by 95-yearold resident impresario
Viola Yost. Yost played the
piano while all the residents enjoyed their threecourse meal served by
the Volunteer Committee:
Bridget Stenzel, Miranda
Watkins, Leah Dinkel, Clayton
Hoffman and Jayci Peter.
Colorful red hats were found
throughout the dining room, as
many residents are members of
the “Red Hat Ladies” club.
The residents and Sunflower
Bank employees agreed it was a
wonderful experience for all.
Bridget Stenzel lighting candles to set the
mood for the special Valentine’s lunch.
Volunteer winners
in Dodge City
D
ave Wetmore,
president of
Sunflower Bank Dodge
City, was named Co-Volunteer
of the year for 2007 at Dodge
City’s Carnegie Center for the
Performing Arts, along with
Mona Ackerman (below).
Lost in a book
S
u n f lower
Bank Hays’
volunteer
committee delivered a
block of books for the
Holy Family Elementary
School on March 26.
The Carnegie Center is one of
1,679 public libraries constructed in the U.S. through the assisSunflower Bank employees
purchased the books for
the school; additions to
the Holy Family library.
The group also enthralled
students by reading several stories. Pictured, Hays
employees read aloud to a
group of students.
tance of steel magnate Andrew
Carnegie. Today, the two-story
brick building continues a tradition of education and community service as a gallery for
traveling exhibits and local art.
The Carnegie Center is listed on
the National Register of Historic
Places.
Maria Ferreiro,
meanwhile,
earned the
Ambassador of
the Year award
in 2007, given
by the Dodge
City Chamber.
Ferreiro, a loan
officer at Sunflower Bank, participated in monthly meetings,
Dodge City days, and membership events.
YO U R N E I G H B O R H O O D C O M M U N I T Y B A N K | 3
Sunflower Bank and the
Heart of Colorado
C
u r r ently
in Fremont County,
there are 132 children
placed in foster care. Heart of
Colorado CASA is the voice for
these children locally. Twenty
caring volunteers have been
trained to serve as advocates for
abused and neglected children.
Sunflower Bank is committed to the improvement of the
Fremont County community
by providing funds to train volunteers and for program costs
for the CASA program. “As a
community bank, we’re focused
on creating the best Fremont
County we can,” said Larry
Stringari,
president of
Sunflower
Bank Cañon
City. “CASA’s
mission is
vital, and
we’re proud to
play a role in
Left to right: Cindy Starika, Committee Chair, Sunflower
Bank; Georgiann Lymberopoulos, News First 5/30
improving the
Television; Lori Burkey, Executive Director of Colorado
lives of chilCASA; Shad Johnson and Claudine Paolino, Sunflower
dren.”
Bank
Storming the alleys
for BBBS Kansas!
S
u n f lower
Bankers all over the
state took to the lanes
during March and April for Big
Brothers Big Sisters’
annual Bowl for Kids’
Sake.
In Manhattan, Amanda
Koerner, Kristy Ward,
Laura Wasinger,
Jessi Chadd, Carrie
Tremblay, Melinda
Thimesch and Olivia Becker
participated, raising a total of
$765 in donations (below).
Carrie won a drawing and
picked out a Bratz doll to give
to Lexi, a Little Sister sponsored
by the bank. It was Lexi’s 7th
Birthday, and the bowlers celebrated with her.
On the lanes, Sunflower Bank
featured the largest vocal contingent and won the cheering contest – and Melinda
Thimesch knocked down a
staggering 187 pins to pace
the squad.
Salina
In Salina, Sunflower Bankers
raised nearly $4100 as a
result of silent auctions,
concession sales, pledges,
and other fun-raising events
spearheaded by Ashley Hanson.
The gang took over the bowling
alley on March 1 (below).
Sunflower finished second
to Wal-Mart in BBBS Salina’s
corporate challenge, but first
among area banks.
Additionally, three
Sunflower Bankers
were recognized by
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Salina for contributions to the agency’s
year-round fundraising
efforts: Hanson for her
innovative leadership during
the corporate challenge, Cherise
Hughes for volunteer work during Bowl For Kids Sake, and
John Hanley for committee
work surrounding BFKS and
the summer Hook & Slice golf
tournament. Below, Hanley and
Hanson receive certificates.
Kayak recreation park –
coming soon to Cañon?
S
unflowe r
Bank made a $1,000
donation to help a
community effort seeking to
build a whitewater kayak recreation park in Cañon City. In
conjunction with the restoration of the Arkansas River near
Centennial Park, Sunflower
Bank joined a diverse and
enthusiastic group of individuals with a common goal – to
make this project a reality.
The benefits of the park are
economical, ecological and
educational. A major portion
of this project will be river
restoration and beautification.
Concrete and metal debris will
be replaced by terraced riverbanks and grass while various
other aesthetic, riparian and
safety improvements will be
incorporated in the design. The
park will be a safe place for the
community to learn paddling
and river safety.
All enhancements made to the
river will be for the public’s
enjoyment and will be designed
to accommodate the entire spectrum of boating enthusiasts.
The stream enhancements will
attract fish to the area. Hikers,
bikers, walkers and spectators will also be able to enjoy
the park. Increased access will
allow for greater educational
opportunities along the river as
well. Pictured are Ken Berry and
Shad Johnson along with the
committee members.
Head of backpack company
returns to Kansas roots
L
y nda Jami son
and Becca Maxwell,
served as Great Bend
Chamber Ambassadors at
the Great Bend Chamber of
Commerce and Economic
Development’s Annual Banquet
on Feb. 9.
Keynote speaker Skip Yowell, a
1964 Great Bend High School
graduate, founded Jansport in
the 1960s, and told the company’s story to the banquet
audience. Skip and three friends
began Jansport in the late 1960s
in Seattle, climbing to the pinnacle of business with their flexible-framed backpack company,
now the world’s leading back-
pack manufacturer. Skip also
promoted his book, The Hippie
Guide to Climbing the Corporate
Ladder and Other Mountains.
Jamison and Maxwell assisted
Skip for his book signing that
evening and served as greeters for his two-hour business
seminar on Feb 8 on behalf of
the Chamber and Economic
Development.
David Thill, former Great Bend
President, and Maxwell also
were recognized with awards
that evening as outgoing board
members for the Chamber
of Commerce and Economic
Development.
4 | s u n f low e r B A N K
Three student achievers earn top
Community Ambassador prizes
S
u n f lower
Bank’s
annual Community
Ambassadors program culminated across its Kansas and
Colorado markets with the
selection of three grand-prize
$1000 college scholarship
winners.
in an interactive, educational
scholarship program featuring
backgrounds in local business,
government and leadership
development – and designed to
encourage high school seniors to
consider their hometown communities as viable destinations for
their futures.
Osborne Ambassadors hard at work.
High school seniors Tanner
Brock of Dodge City, Amanda
Easley, Junction City, and Laura
Fritze, Andover, each earned
a $1000 scholarship – the
result of a final, contemplative
essay and exemplary participation throughout each student’s
respective Community
Ambassadors programs.
“We’re honored to
work with so many
eager and enthusiastic students, and
we’re also pleased
to facilitate learning
within our communities,” said Mollie
Carter, President &
CEO of Sunflower
Bank. “All our
ambassadors exhibit
a passion for their hometowns
and communities – and that
spirit will help them in college
and in their future careers.”
Facilitated locally in each of
Sunflower Bank’s 17 markets,
many Community Ambassador
sessions featured discussions
More than 150
select students
served as Sunflower
Bank Community
Ambassadors throughout Sunflower’s 17
markets, taking part
Wichita
Josh Helmer
$500
Dara Strathman
$1,000
Amber Loewen
$500
Cañon City
Alicia Hayhurst
$1,000
Community
Ambassadors
Dale Gottschalk and Judy Parks award
an Ambassador graduate.
Katileyn
Kaufman
$500
Ashley Adrian
$250
Elissa Stein
$1,000
Phillip Kuhn
$500
Russell
Nicole Ferguson
$250
Rena Detrixhe
$500
Dodge City
Margarita
Caulfield
$250
Megan Robl
$500
Allyson Klaus
$1,000
Austin Budke
$500
Shane Scott
$500
Kathryn Jones
$250
Ellinwood
Kate Augustine
$250
Mallory Sauer
$1,000
Hays
Beth Schneider
$250
Amanda Easley is a senior
at Junction City High
School and will attend the
University of Kansas in the
fall and pursue a degree
in nursing. Laura Fritze,
a senior at Andover High
School, will attend Kansas State
University and Tanner Brock,
a senior at Dodge City High
“I enjoyed working with these
students. Their enthusiasm was
refreshing.When our session
in Ellinwood came to an end
one of the students
wanted to know
when we could open
the business we
were working on,”
said Karmi Green,
Prairie Enterprise
Facilitator for Barton
County and speaker
at a Great Bend session (left).
Great Bend Ambassadors work together.
Salina
Great Bend
Zach Bealer
$1,000
with prominent
.
community leaders, and discussion
Tanner Brock
Amanda Easley
Laura Fritze
groups about local
Dodge City
Junction City
Wichita
community develop$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
ment. The ambassadors attended
sessions each month
throughout the
school year, culminating with April and
“A student from one of the Great
May graduation ceremonies in
Bend sessions wowed me with
most locations.
his financial management
skills. These students are
bright and willing to participate. They are the future of
rural Kansas.”
McPherson
Adrianne
Lessard
$250
Grand Prize Winners
Katie Linden
$500
Katelin Clawson
$250
Manhattan
Layne Krizek
$250
Thomas
Summers
$1,000
Bethany Murray
$500
Katy Zapletal
$250
YO U R N E I G H B O R H O O D C O M M U N I T Y B A N K | 5
school, plans to study at the
University of Kansas. In all, 55
students earned scholarships
from Sunflower Bank.
participant in their class and
Easley earned a $500 scholarship. Scholarship winners
and all ambassadors are listed
below, with some winners pictured at bottom left.
The Community Ambassadors
Scholarship Program
also awarded three local
scholarships within a
Community Ambassadors
class – a $1,000 scholarship, a $500 scholarship
and a $250 scholarship.
In their respective communities, Fritze and
Brock earned a $1000
Salina Ambassadors graduated April 28.
scholarship as the top
2008 Participants
Cañon City
Alicia Hayhurst
Ashley Adrian
Ashley Barnes
Jamie Lynn
Hernandez
Jessica Karpilo
Katileyn Kaufman
Kelsey Lungu
Matthew Labonte
Melissa Rutter
Stephanie Dewitt
Brittany Lanning
Courtney Hallenbeck
Danielle Hoover
Erica Howard
James Dodin
Jonathan Colston
Kaitlyn Elder
Kevin Henderson
Margarita Meadows
Miranda Davis
Reema Ghandi
Toni Braucher
Colby
Liberal
Courtney Ress
Justin Shields
Laura Dougherty
Paige Stephens
Stephanie Albers
Todd Ziegelmeier
Dodge City
Christopher Wright
Elizabeth Stephens
Kathryn Jones
Shane Scott
Tanner Brock
Ellinwood
Baily Zimmerman
Katelin Clawson
Katie Sieker
Mallory Sauer
Allison Duerson
Ana Lourdes Trejo
Kalen Taylor
Matthew Haralson
Manhattan
Russell
Austin Rupe
Autumn Gilliam
Bethany Murray
Dhithya Ramaswamy
Jackie Carmichael Jr.
Katy Zapletal
Sam El-Hamoudeh
Sam Kenney
Sushu Wang
Thomas Summers
Jaqueline McKune
Jessica Pruitt
Jordan Harrison
Kyla Reinhardt
Margarita Caulfield
Rena Detrixhe
Rex Soldan
Stephanie Nuss
McPherson
Alex Keenan
Beth Schneider
Jared Boone
Luis Reza
Paige Blevins
Phillip Kuhn
Ryan Bealer
Zach Bealer
Hays
Monte Vista
Allyson Klaus
Austin Budke
Austin Dreiling
Brogan Miller
Cade Scott
Caitlin Braun
Colleen Pennington
Jaelyn McLaren
Kaley Klaus
Layne Krizek
Molly Schmeidler
Sandra Nickel
Sarah Zerr
Alex Schnaderbeck
Cheyenne Dickey
Emily Hamilton
Joseph Malouff
Kendra Lee
Martin Diaz
Sarah Keith
Ty Beiriger
Tylor Hagedorn
Wendy Ast
Junction City
Amanda Easley
Amy Kim
Breann Sherbert
Pueblo
Amber S. Cordova
Ashley Solano
Austyn Miller
Brittney Montoya
Cassandra Casias
Elizabeth T Chavez
Emily Woltjer
Kaylene Archuleta
Keely Severance
Lindsay Reeves
Maleah M Gregory
Tianyi Lu
Amber Loewen
Amy Ruddle
Ashley Vogts
Caitlin Nelson
Dara Strathman
Katie Colburn
Kaycie Shearer
Morgan Ashpole
Nicole Ferguson
Sabrina Hamilton
Sarah Gawith
Great Bend
Sarah Waugh
Tana Spears
Tracey Mans
Zachery Cady
Osborne
Amberleigh
Plowman
Lee Ann Michel
Mallory Boland
Maria Hyde
Megan Schellinger
Salina
Angela Larson
Audrey George
Austin Hoppock
Christopher Lohf
Cole Lilly
Elissa Stein
Kate Augustine
Kati Blue
Kelcy Young
Madeline Logan
Megan Robl
Nora Rindt
Rachel Groene
Scott Mitchell
Shawnee Smith
Tracy Hoelting
Wichita
Adrianne Lessard
Allison Coleman
Andrea Black
Brandi Holt
Brandon Komp
Sara Lee
Elizabeth Allen
Holly Graves
Josh Helmer
Kathryn Ignowski
Laura Baxt
Laura Fritze
Lindsay Carroll
Lindsey Knebel
The 38th annual Kansas
Special Olympics at FHSU
S
unflowe r
Bank Hays and Victoria
were among the AdoptA-Team sponsors for the Kansas
Special Olympics state basketball
tournament held March 13-15 at
Fort Hays State University.
The opening ceremonies began
Thursday, March 13 and nearly
1200 athletes took part in their
traditional march-in. Sunflower
Bank was honored to escort
the Solomon Valley ARC from
Rooks County to their designated seating area.
At the end of the ceremony the
athletes, along with Norbert Flax,
a long-time volunteer referee at
the tournament, recited the oath
before the tournament began,
“Let me win. And if I cannot win,
Let me be brave in the attempt.”
Sunflower Bank employees
attending the opening ceremony were: Cathy Braun,
Jenna Braun, Debra Dreiling,
Mike Briney, Bridget Stenzel
and Darlene Braun. Debbie
Hoffman, Kayla Martin and
Darlene Braun also attended
several Solomon Valley’s games
on Friday and Saturday.
‘Rotten to the Core’ in Hays
I
t was once
again time for Hays
Soroptomist International
group’s annual melodrama
– and this year the organization presented One Bad Apple,
featuring a masquerading Baron
Von Fritter from Germany,
inspecting the Blossom Apple
Farms and beginning a cavalcade of misadventures.
Judy Parks of Sunflower Bank
played Old Maid Prudence
Hewitt in the play on March 15
at TMP-Marian.
Seniors learn about fraud
prevention, identity theft
A
group o f
volunteers from the
Great Bend Senior
Companion organization gathered on February 19 at the
Highrise for lunch and a presentation given by Lynda Jamison,
of Sunflower Bank.
Participants learned how to
Deter, Detect and Defend against
Fraud and Identity Theft and
discussed real-life examples of
scams which occurred to local
people. The group learned that
fraud can happen via the phone,
Internet, mail or in person and
anyone can be a target. The
group had many questions and
left with important information to protect themselves and
the people they help every day
against Fraud and Identity Theft.
Pictured below are Lynda
Jamison and many of the Great
Bend Senior Companion volunteers.
6 | s u n f low e r B A N K
… Hays continued from page 1
boxes, additional drivethrough lanes, a stand-alone
ATM, and familiar Sunflower
Bank personnel. The new
bank was designed not only to
conveniently appeal to Hays
shoppers and consumers,
but also as a measure of
convenience for Western
Kansas customers and the Ellis
County area.
“We’re dedicated to the
continued growth and service
of Ellis County and Western
Kansas,” said Dale Gottschalk,
president – Sunflower Bank
Hays, Victoria and Russell.
“Our customers will enjoy our
new, expanded, full-service
location, and we’re proud
to have another convenient
location in the Hays area.”
Chris Riedel manages the new
facility and Sunflower Bank
Victoria. Desirée Friess serves
as assistant manager at Hays
North. Staff members from
the Sunflower Bank Dillons®
location moved into similar
positions in Roth Plaza. Loan
officers and other personnel
are also available to customers
at Sunflower Bank North.
Introducing the
Sunflower Haulers
T
he “Sunflower
Haulers.” – a walking team featuring
Sunflower Bank Liberal’s Judy
Vasquez, Vicki Bunger, Cindy
Lovelace (team captain), Gail
Walter, Karla Guevara and
Nancy Weikle, representing
the bank in Walk Kansas, a
K-State Research and Extension
Program.
The ongoing program requires
each team member to walk at
least 8 miles per week for 8
weeks. So far, so good, and each
hopes to be hauling fast when
spring draws to a close!
Liberal’s walking crew.
Busy – and all too short –
spring in Osborne!
Beyond the rubble
N
ot only
did Hays’ Sunflower
Bank North open at
48th and Vine, but the
main office in Hays at
1010 E. 27th underwent a serious facelift
in March. For nearly a
month, customers and
employees navigated
through construction while a
crew cleaned up and updated
the inside of the bank.
Now, the revamped,
clean Hays Main office is
open for business. Stop
in anytime!
Heart Walk for AHA
M
c Pherson
Sunflower Bank
employees raised
money for the American Heart
Association by participating
in the AHA’s first annual Heart
Walk in McPherson.
Each and every employee
raised money for this organization, many forming a team
and walking on Saturday,
February 16 from 9:30 a.m.
- 12 p.m. at the McPherson
High School roundhouse.
The walk was a lot of fun,
with entertainment on the
gym floor during the event –
and rewarding not only for the
participants, but also for the
American Heart Association,
which raised more than
$12,000.
Back row, L-R: Angie Huggard, Kara
Lang, Jessica Pritchard. Front Row:
Megan Decker, Jen Bonham, Christy
Almquist.
A
nother busy
spring came and
went for Osborne’s
talented staff, participating in
various community endeavors.
On to state
Speaking of talent, the Osborne
Lady Bulldogs basketball squad
headed to state championship
games again this year. While they
didn’t finish first, the community
was still very proud. Businesses
were encouraged to send cards
or tokens of appreciation to
show support for the players
and cheerleaders. The Sunflower
Bank employees sent cards
shaped like miniature jerseys
wishing them well.
Good eggs
loons to donate to the hunt.
Children gathered on the courthouse lawn and divided up by
age group to search for the eggs
and four children won special
prizes by finding specially hidden “golden” eggs.
Alumni connections
Also around Easter time, students old and new opened their
mailboxes to find the alumni
“Hi-Tide” newsletter. Alumni
members, including our very
own Barb Brown, diligently
worked to produce and distribute the paper keeping all
alumni abreast of the recent
activities, including some that
the bank was involved in. As
we head into summer, we’re
looking forward to even more
community activities.
Easter approached and the gang
looked forward to
spending time with
family. Children
preschool age and
up had an opportunity to attend the
annual Chamber of
Commerce sponsored Easter Egg
Osborne in session, and winners below.
Hunt. This year the
bank
Osborne Community Ambassadors
crew
stuffed
over
100
eggs
with
candy
and
Amberleigh
Tana Spears
Lee Ann Michel
Sarah Waugh
balPlowman
$1,000
$500
$250
$250
Read more about Community Ambassadors on page 4!
YO U R N E I G H B O R H O O D C O M M U N I T Y B A N K | 7
Another successful ABC program
results in dollars for schools
S
u n f lower
Bank wrapped up its
seventh annual ABC: Be
True to Your Schools campaign
by donating $77,000 to area
students and schools – the largest
annual donation in the history of
the program. In the past seven
years, the bank has given more
than $300,000 to paticipating
area schools and students.
The program allows customers
to earn money for their favorite school whenever they use
their debit card. New custom-
A on their report card – and
Sunflower Bank matched the
student’s reward check with
a donation to the student’s
school. Nearly 200 students
won money for their report
cards in 2008 – and many
appeared on TV or on radio as
a bonus (bottom left)!
Middleton, now
president of
Sunflower Bank’s
Great Bend
and Ellinwood
locations, previously served as
an assistant vice president and
branch manager of Bank of the
West’s Great Bend location. since
October 1999 and has worked in
lending and finance for nearly 15
years.
Osborne President Jim Eilert
presents a check to a student
winner.
Local students also had
the chance to win cash
– by turning in their
report card in January
At Pueblo North, both students and parents
arrived for filming on April 1. They were natu- or February. Select sturals in front of the camera as they filmed TV
dent winners in each
commercials. After many exhausting takes, the
Sunflower Bank market
television stars took a break and had cookies
earned $10 for every
and punch.
Nick Malone,
Monte Vista
President
Bubba wishes he was eligible
for $10 for each A on his
report card.
McPherson’s sweet successes for causes
S
Donovan Graber, Director
of BBBS - McPherson
County received the check
from Susi Bocks, CSR. Chet
Lang, President, led the
pack by selling 1106 kisses!
Copy that: Machine
donated to BBBS
Big Brothers Big Sisters
McPherson received
a Minolta copier from
Sunflower Bank McPherson as
a donation to their organization
in the early part of March, to
use in their newer facility.
Pictured are Angie Huggard,
Customer Service Officer;
Donovan Graber, Director and
Liz Feil, BBBS Administrative
Assistant, accepting the copier.
and throughout Kenwood Park,
and went home with Easter
treats. Bubba, as always, was
jazzed about his return from
hibernation – just in time for
the Easter Egg Hunt.
First Kids braved the early
March weather and the cold to
root for eggs around the train
Krieger is a native
of Omaha, Neb.,
but raised in
Sidney, Neb. –
home of Cabela’s
Sporting Goods.
Don began his banking career in
1972 in Broomfield, Colo., most
recently with First National Bank
of the Rockies in Craig, Colo. He
previously was a member of the
Air Force and is an alumnus of
Peru State College in Peru, Neb.
He’s married to Beverly with five
children, and five grandchildren.
Barbara Musick,
South Fork
Manager
Bubba hunts eggs in Mac
Bubba the Bear welcomed nearly
100 of his closest friends to one
of his favorite events on Saturday,
March 8 – the annual Easter Egg
Hunt at Kenwood Park.
Born in Lamar,
Colo., Malone
grew up on a
small irrigated
farm and graduated from Adams State College.
Nick’s been in the banking industry since 1992 and an ag/commercial lender for 14 years, including
the past 8 years spent as the a Vice
President with Commerce Bank
in Lakin, Kan. He’s been married
to Mindy for almost 17 years and
have 3 children, Megan, Dax, and
Madison.
Donald Krieger,
Monte Vista
lender
Busy bear has ‘egg-stra’ fun in spring
Salina First Kids flock to
March Easter Egg Hunt
S
ay h i to som e
of the new folks in your
local Sunflower lobbies –
here’s a few!
Brett Middleton,
Great Bend
President
ers also can request that
Sunflower Bank match
their incentive payment
to a participating school
of their choice.
u n f lower
Bank McPherson raised
$2005 for Big Brothers
Big Sisters of McPherson
County by offering Hershey’s
Kisses in return for donations
during the month of March – a
sweet success!
New
faces at
Sunflower
Bank!
Bubba high-tailed it down to
McPherson on March 10, for the
bank’s Easter Egg-stravaganza.
First kids participated in
a fun-filled afternoon that
included the Easter Egg Hunt,
treats and a basket give-away.
Everyone who participated
experienced a really good time
– including Bubba!
Barbara moved
to the San
Luis Valley 10
years ago from
Loveland, Colo,
where she was a VP for Bank One.
She has three grown children with
families in Phoenix, Longmont,
Colo., and Del Norte, Colo., and
is an alumnus of Colorado State
University.
8 | s u n f l o w e r b a n k • YO U R N E I G H B O R H O O D C O M M U N I T Y B A N K
Attention!
First Ladies and
Club Vogue!
Bon Voyage, All Aboard,
and enjoy your summers!
I
t ’ s a b ig 2 0 0 8
for Sunflower Bank’s two
most exclusive clubs – here’s
what’s on tap. Remember – if
you are a First Lady, you may
take part in any First Lady trip.
Club Vogue events also are open
to all Club Vogue members! Let
your local contact know!
Club Vogue
Salina
• Garden Party – June 17
Meet Master Gardener Beth
Eisenbraun at the Country
Club at 6:30 pm. Get Great
Gardening tips from the expert
– at no cost! Contact Jessica
Sprecker at 827-5564.
• Christmas in July with Meta
& Barry West – July 23
Limited space for a fantastic
cooking class in Salina, call
now!
Wednesday, July 23
Cost per person $25
Payment due by July 18th
Limit: 18
Contact Jessica Sprecker at
827-5564 for more details.
Denver – Girls Only The Secret Comedy
of Women, Nov. 15
Club Vogue Colby will visit
Denver in style, with backstage
tours of the theaters in the
complex, then comedy, and a
healthy dose of shopping, of
course—all wrapped up in a
tidy package. Details to come,
call Susan Orr in Colby at
785-462-3313.
Bank, Liberal on October 6
and returning on October 11.
Trip includes stops in Taos and
Santa Fe. For details, call Linda
Ridley, 620-624-8101.
Two days in K.C., July 17-18
Join First Ladies Wichita and
Salina and attend Starlight
Theatre on Friday evening
and see “High School Musical
on Tour” done by the Disney
Theatrical Productions tour
company. On Saturday travel
around fantastic Kansas City,
visiting the Arabia Steamboat
Museum with shopping time
in the afternoon. Motorcoach
starts in Wichita and stops in
Salina. Cost: $245.00/person
double occupancy.
Contact Marcia Sims in
Salina at 827-5564 ext. 237
or call Bette Hamilton at
316-652-1283, full payment
due June 20.
Chicago, Oct. 9-14
Second City? Not really. Visit
America’s greatest city with First
Ladies Hays, traveling by bus
through Iowa view all the sights
of Chicago – the Millennium
Park, Buckingham Fountain,
Lake Shore Drive, and the
Shedd Aquarium, before power
shopping on the Magnificent
Mile, Michigan Ave., and a feast
in Greektown.
Cost $1085 double occupancy,
$200 deposit by July 9. Call
Bridget Stenzel, 625-8888.
Did you know?
See to Learn
S
unflow e r
Bank is constantly
in search of ways to
promote healthy habits and
activities in its communities.
The healthier our citizens are,
the better off the well being
of our entire community. Deb
Hoffman and Ronan Sramek of
Sunflower Bank Hays visited
with Dr. Michael Hattan, an
optometrist serving Hays and
northwest Kansas about SEE
TO LEARN® and Vision USA,
essential eyecare programs
promoting community health.
SEE TO LEARN is a 3-step
preventive health program
designed to ensure vision
problems don’t affect a child’s
ability to learn. The first step
is to alert parents and educators about the importance of
early childhood eye exams to
detect vision problems before
they hinder a child’s ability to
learn. Warning signs of a vision
problem include frequent rubbing or blinking of eyes, poor
reading, avoiding close work,
frequent headaches and tilting
of the head. The second step is
a free vision assessment for any
3-year-old child in the community to detect vision conditions
that require correction at this
early age. Finally, the third step
is a professional eye examination prior to entering kinder-
garten, extremely important,
because a child’s vision can
change as the child grows. SEE
TO LEARN® is sponsored by
the Eye Care Council and the
Kansas Optometric Association
and is offered by more than
250 optometrists across the
state. For more information,
please contact the Eye Care
Council at 1-800-960-EYES or
visit www.seetolearn.com.
“More than 80 percent of learning is a result of visual processing, so if children aren’t
seeing well, they may have
trouble learning,” said Todd
Fleischer, Eye Care Council
Communications Director.
“Participating optometrists hope
that by providing free vision
assessments to three-year-olds,
they can detect problems that
might affect the children’s ability to do well in school and
later in life.”
The purpose of the Vision USA
program is to provide professional eye exams for individuals across Kansas who do not
have vision insurance and
cannot afford an eye exam.
Eyewear may also be available
at no charge or at a reduced
cost, depending on a patient’s
need and available funding.
Interested persons should contact their local Salvation Army
or similar organization.
New Horizon in Russell
T
he New
Horizon 4-H Club
presented Sunflower
Bank with a tray of cookies
for our continued support
with the 4-H Journal.
Receiving the cookies from
the club members is Becky
Deatherage.
First Ladies
Ireland awaits! Oct. 14-24
There is still time to sign up
for First Ladies Pueblo’s 10-day
trip to Ireland departing
October 14. Final payment is
due by August 15. The travel
agency will take reservations
on a first come-first served
after that date if seating is
available. Call Donna Samson
at 565-4200.
Balloon Fest, Oct. 6-11
Liberal First Ladies will depart
for Albuquerque, New Mexico
for the Balloon Festival on
October 6 via motorcoach,
returning on October 11.
Leave via motorcoach from
the parking lot of Sunflower
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 111
SALINA, KS
P.O. Box 800
Salina, KS 67402-0800