A local business, celebrating its 50th year of having the privilege of serving the traveling public of the Midwest, has created the “DO GOOD Thank You Award” to publicly acknowledge and thank worthy area individuals and organizations for their good, often unreported, efforts.
Marilyn Kopke, President of Cheyenne Travel/Please Go Away™ Vacations, commented, “The annals of all our area communities are filled with individuals and organizations that make their hometowns and surrounding areas better places to live and work by their “do good” efforts of serving others! All too often, many of these worthy individuals and organizations, who willingly and without pay give of their time and talents, are not known and/or are not publicly acknowledged and thanked. To recognize and show appreciation to such individuals and organizations; and in observance of our having the privilege of serving the travelers of the Midwest for the past half century (1966-2016), Cheyenne Travel/Please Go Away(tm) Vacations has created this award that will be presented periodically! Everyone is invited to nominate worthy recipients by contacting our offices and briefly detailing their “do good” efforts.”
The first two recipients are Mary “Frosty” Backman of Great Bend and Pheasant Heaven Charities, Inc. of Hugoton.
Backman was nominated by Renee Johnson for her “do good” efforts of volunteering to drive individuals to doctor appointments and other hard to accomplish appointments, for regularly visiting those residing in assisted living facilities and for regularly volunteering at her church. Johnson commented, “Frosty has such a good attitude and is an all-around good person.”
Pheasant Heaven Charities, Inc. began in 2004 when a group of men got together the night before the opening day of pheasant season and had a calf fry. A young mother had recently died unexpectedly. The men took a free will offering at the calf fry, raising $5,000 for her scholarship fund. The following year they took another free will offering and donated $7,000 to two memorial scholarship funds. These five men then formed Pheasant Heaven Charities, Inc., obtained 501(c) (3) status and have raised over two million dollars to date for an average annual total of approximately $170,000. All of the funds are paid to causes and people in need within a 50 mile radius of Hugoton. This worthwhile organization was nominated for their “do good” efforts by Sharon Concannon of Hugoton, who said, “It is an amazing organization. Their vision and generosity are absolutely amazing.”
All nominees will be publicly acknowledged on a monthly basis, will receive a special “DO GOOD Thank You Award” certificate, and will have their names entered into periodic drawings to receive a special thank you gift that may include dining experiences, free event tickets, or other tokens of appreciation.
Cheyenne Travel/Please Go Away™ Vacations is located at 1600 Main Street, Suite A, Great Bend, KS 67530. They can be called toll free at 800-362-9347 or emailed at Answers@TravelPleaseGoAway.com.