HOISINGTON — Larry and Kathy Schugart and Golden Belt Community Foundation Director Christy Tustin visited the GPS Kids Club facility in Hoisington Thursday afternoon to present the organization with a donation of $20,000. The money fulfills the immediate goal of $42,000 Debbie Stephens, the founder of GPS Kids Club, had set to pay for a needed externally monitored fire alarm system.
Students from Hoisington’s elementary schools, middle and high schools greeted the Schugarts and took turns thanking the couple, sharing with them how GPS Kids Club has helped them to feel safe after school and become better students.
“Thank you for helping GPS ,” a boy named Harrison said. “They help me with my homework and I was falling behind in school and they are really helping me a lot.”
After the check was presented, Stephens and Tustin led the Schugarts on a tour of the facility. The installation of the fire alarm system will fulfill an order by the state fire marshal, allowing the facility to stay open during the summer as plans are made for further renovations to bring the building up to current fire code in the months to come.
Kathy Schugart talked about how she and Larry heard about what GPS Kids Club was facing while the couple was returning from a vacation last week.
“It pulled on my heart strings,” she said. “We usually try to look for things in the community that we see are helpful. We talked about it, and decided this is something we’d like to do, and the rest is history.”
The Schugart Donor Advised Fund is one of the original 37 funds that helped to create the Golden Belt Community Foundation in 2001, Tustin said.
Kathy was an original board member. Over the past 18 years, they have continued to add to the fund, helping it to grow. She shared how husband Larry has lived by the sentiment that as he has earned their money here, this is where they need to give it.
“When we started the fund, I didn’t understand how important it was,” Kathy said. “Now, I understand. We are so pleased to be able to help with this project. These children are really a blessing.“
