Sharing Success Charity Challenge Winners Receive $4,500

SCOTT CITY–We are excited to announce that the winner of this year’s Wheatland Electric Cooperative Inc.’s Sharing Success Charity Challenge is Family Crisis Center, Inc.

The non-profit organization based in Great Bend serves individuals in 10 central Kansas counties (Barton, Barber, Comanche, Edwards, Kiowa, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Rush and Stafford) through their Domestic and Sexual Violence Center and five counties (Barton, Pawnee, Ellsworth, Pratt, and Stafford) through their Child Advocacy Center.

Family Crisis Center, Inc. is the recipient of a $2,500 Sharing Success grant through the Sharing Success Charity Challenge. The organization was championed by Wheatland Electric’s cooperative membership and Facebook fans and followers (through multiple rounds of online voting during the contest held entirely on social media from Oct. 21 through Nov. 12, 2024).

In addition, three other finalists in our online contest also received Sharing Success grants.

They include Scott City Feathers and Lead (Scott County), which received a $1,000 grant for placing second; The Arts Center in Anthony (Harper County), which received a $500 grant; and Santas for Seniors, a project based in Finney County, which also received $500.

To engage our membership and promote two of our seven cooperative principles, we turned the decision-making power over to our membership for the fifth year in a row during this grant selection process.

Throughout the online contest, our co-op members and other Facebook followers were encouraged to nominate and vote for a deserving non-profit or other charitable community-based organizations within our service territory and rally friends and family to do the same.

Now, more than ever during this holiday season, we recognize the importance of helping one another, giving thanks, and paying it forward.

That’s because cooperatives like us are governed by core principles, including democratic member control and concern for community. The first endorses active member participation in the future and direction of our cooperative. And the second promotes our work for the sustainable development of our communities through policies supported by our membership.

We want to thank all our members who helped select these four deserving Sharing Success grant recipients.