By NATHAN KING
Salina Post
The Love Salina community campaign received a $50,000 gift at the recent first quarterly Salina Chamber of Commerce Builders Breakfast.
Ben Waters, the regional manager of Eagle Communications' radio, digital, and creative markets in Salina, Manhattan, and Junction City, presented the check on behalf of The Schmidt Foundation. In Salina, Eagle Communications owns 99KG, 94.5 Prime, KINA, and Salina Post.
Waters said the gift was being made to the Love Salina campaign because of Eagle employee owners' philosophy "to help improve the communities we live, work, and play in."
"The Love Salina campaign was the vision of Travis Young and his employees at Vortex," said Eric Brown, president and CEO of the Salina Chamber of Commerce. "It really has been a true grassroots effort thus far and this donation will help introduce it to both Salina and the world."
Travis Young is the president and CEO of Salina Vortex Companies and the chairman of the board for the Salina Chamber of Commerce.
The Schmidt Foundation
The Schmidt Foundation was founded by former Eagle owner Bob Schmidt and his wife Pat in Hays. It was Bob and Pat's goal to contribute to the success and well-being of the communities they served. They believed the rising tide lifts all boats – by giving back to your community, it will spark a chain reaction of good and create an even playing field for us all to thrive and grow in.
Both Bob and Pat cared about the communities they served, but Pat had a special interest in community projects. It was her interest and Bob's "Forever Forward" mentality that lead to the creation of the Robert E. and Patricia A. Schmidt Foundation. The organization is now known simply as The Schmidt Foundation.
Over the years, The Schmidt Foundation has built a brighter and sustainable future for many in Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri. With the "Forward Ever" attitude the board of trustees works to continue Bob and Pat’s vision of improving the quality of life in our communities.
The Love Salina Campaign
Love Salina is an initiate driven by the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce and private citizens to better promote our community as a destination to visit, live, work, and play.
“Salina punches well above its weight for a community of our size," Young said. "We have a great food scene, unbelievable public art, fantastic museums, a beautiful AZA accredited zoo, wonderful athletic venues, and one of the best historic theaters for live music in the nation, amongst so much more."
Young underscored that throughout its history, Salina has been known as a city of commerce, mostly separated from the history of the Old West and cattle towns Kansas is often associated with.
"In many ways we have all the amenities of a large metropolitan area, with the ambiance and benefits of a smaller town," Young said.
The new campaign is designed to establish a more cohesive brand and identity for Salina to support future growth and bolster tourism along the corridors of Interstate 70 and Interstate 35.
Although the campaign is designed to bolster tourism to the Salina area, Love Salina was created to help Salina residents demonstrate pride in their town.
"Love Salina is a way that we're really trying to be engaged, and help the community have a little pride in itself," said Brown. "I think Midwest nice is a real thing. I think we all kind of keep our heads down and nose to the grindstone, we work really hard to see the fruits of those labors. But we don't necessarily tell anyone."