Hays Soroptimist Club recognizes area women

Screen Shot 2016-04-27 at 10.50.57 AM — Pictured, from left: Rebecca Bange, Cathleen Kroeger and Stacy Denning.

Soroptimist International of Hays, a volunteer organization for business and professional women, held its annual awards ceremony on Tuesday, April 19, at the Stouffer Lounge in the FHSU Memorial Union.

The club recognized three women and made a donation of $1,250 to Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services.

Cathleen Kroeger, Hays, received the Ruby Award. The Soroptimist Ruby Award: Women Helping Women honors ordinary women, who through their professional or personal activities, make extraordinary efforts on behalf of women and girls. It also provides a $500 award, which the recipient can donate to the charity of her choice.

Kroeger plans to donate her $500 award to the Ellis County Breastfeeding Coalition. Kroeger currently works for the Hays Public Library and has helped to create a breastfeeding-friendly location in the library.

Screen Shot 2016-04-27 at 10.51.03 AM — Robin Hale, left, Soroptimist President, presents a donation check to Tiffany Kershner, Interim Director at Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services.

Stacy Denning, Great Bend, received the Live Your Dream Award. Soroptimist International of Hays is one of 1,300 clubs that make up Soroptimist International of the Americas, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment. The Live Your Dream Award program provides women who serve as the primary wage earners for their families with the financial resources to offset costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education or additional skills and training. The award can be used for tuition, books, childcare, carfare or any other education-related expense.

Denning will use the cash award to obtain her Bachelor’s degree in General Studies, Organizational Leadership at FHSU. Denning is currently employed at the Central Kansas Breast and Surgery Clinic in Great Bend. Denning says, “Going back to school has given me the confidence to know things will be better.”

Rebecca Bange, Hays, is the Live Your Dream Award runner-up. She plans to use the cash award to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at FHSU. Bange says, “I would like to help the community by producing a more effective way to grow our crops in a drought by having a more drought resistant crop.”