Fulton Public Schools Foundation holds first gala

Speakers honor Fulton teachers

(From left to right) Rick Gohring, foundation treasurer; Rick Means, CEO of Shelter Insurance Companies and guest speaker; and Bruce Hackmann, president of the Fulton Public Schools Foundation.
(From left to right) Rick Gohring, foundation treasurer; Rick Means, CEO of Shelter Insurance Companies and guest speaker; and Bruce Hackmann, president of the Fulton Public Schools Foundation.

After seeing the turnout at its first Gala Celebration Saturday, the Fulton Public Schools Foundation (FPSF) plans to host the event again in the future. Executive Director FPSF Diane Burre Ludwig said having an opportunity like the gala each year to thank donors and keep them updated on the school district is important.

"As a foundation, we want to always thank our donors," Burre Ludwig said. "It was wonderful. We had so many great people in the room."

The foundation, she said, was hoping to have more than 100 attendees; 108 people attended the Gala Celebration Saturday. Among those in attendance were award recipients, who each said a few words.

Burre Ludwig said each speaker expressed an appreciation for teachers they had when they attended Fulton Public Schools and an appreciation for the district's continued support for education.

"It speaks to the value of a teacher and a classroom experience," Burre Ludwig said. "One person can make a difference."

The Gala recognized several people for their contributions to the foundation.

Those recognized included:

•Rick Means, FHS class of 1973, was the guest speaker. At the Gala, he and his wife Molly donated $2,000 to the foundation, which Rick Means' employer Shelter Insurance matched. Means has been the president of Shelter Insurance since 2012. He joined the company in 1977 in the claims department after receiving a bachelor of science from the University of Missouri. He is involved in the local community and was named among the 50 Missourians you should know in a Kansas City business publication last month. He spoke about his time in the Fulton School District.

•The Blattner family was recognized for its support of education. Multiple family members have served on the district's board of directors over the years. Additionally, family members were instrumental in getting the FPSF started.

•David and Dana Burre made the first donation to help the foundation start in 2006. David Burre shared with those in attendance a story of how teachers helped him overcome an eye injury in first grade.

•The Harris family were recognized as being "instrumental" in advancing the foundation. Bruce Harris served as a founding member of the foundation's board in 2006 and Glenn Harris recently served as board treasurer. Overton Harris served on the school board in the "50's.

•Pat Jones was thanked for her passion and assistance in establishing the foundation's first restricted fund for foreign language studies. Her passion comes from her belief that children should learn languages young, according the the event's program.

•The Major Saver company was thanked for providing a discount card program through the school, which has allowed children to help their school raise funds. FPS has raised more than $107,752 since the program started in 2007.

•The class of 1964 was honored for making the largest class gift in the FPSF's history. The class set out to donate $2,500 and reached a final donation of $4,365, with the help of more than half the class.

The foundation, Burre Ludwig said, is going to work with reunion classes who want to donate to the foundation. It also, in January, established the Hornet Foundation Circle. The foundation was hoping to have 25 members in the new group by the Gala Saturday. And, the foundation saw its 25th member join Saturday night. Custom pins were presented to members of the Hornet Foundation Circle at Saturday night's Gala Celebration.

Now that the foundation met its first goal for its newly founded group, Burre Ludwig said it will be setting a new participation goal. The foundation will continue to supply classroom grants. Additionally, Burre Ludwig said the foundation will work with the district on composing a needs assessment list this summer, with the hope of supporting schools in the district with their educational goals as much as possible.

FPSF President Bruce Hackman previously told the Fulton Sun that the Gala was an opportunity to not only thank those who have made an impact on the foundation, but also to raise visibility to the foundation and the work that it does.