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August 4, 2025 13 mins

The Rural Riley County Community Foundation unites three small towns—Keats, Leonardville, and Riley, creating meaningful community impact through local philanthropy and robust fundraising initiatives.

• Foundation manages 26 funds, with 23 participating in their upcoming Match Day
• Raised over $97,000 in their first Match Day with $23,000 in matching funds
• Community Food Basket program addresses food insecurity with a central pantry and blessing boxes throughout the region
• Board includes representatives from all three communities plus dedicated ambassadors
• Second annual Match Day scheduled for August 28-29 at Riley County High School
• Already secured $32,000 in matching funds for this year's event
• Satellite locations will be available in all three communities during Match Day
• Online donations accepted at ruralrileycountycf.org
• Support extends to churches, schools, wellness programs, and mental health services

Join us for Match Day on August 28-29 at Riley County High School or visit ruralrileycountycf.org to donate online and support our rural communities.


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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Philanthropy Today is brought to you by the Greater
Manhattan Community Foundation.
In this episode we feature arecently broadcast segment of
the GMCF Community Hour, asheard on NewsRadio KMAN.
We are back, segment numberthree of the GMCF Community Hour
, here on NewsRadio KMAN.
The Rural Riley CommunityFoundation.

(00:22):
Rural Riley County CommunityFoundation.
There's an extra C in there,rrccf, correct?
And Christine, this is anotherone of the caps that you wear
here at the GMC Another cap thatI wear.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yeah, so I'm the partner liaison.
I get to work with wonderfulpeople like Lori and Jenny who's
the president?
Jenny Anders and so they'vebeen a community foundation for
three years and this is theirsecond match day and they just
blew it out of the water withtheir first one, so we're ready

(00:56):
to go on this second one.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
Her name is Lori Rogge.
She is the what treasurer.

Speaker 3 (01:02):
Yes, I am Good for you.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
Another hat to wear, yeah you have a lot of hats
right you do real estate, you doauctions, I do yeah we work a
lot we do auctions together.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
That's right.
We have a lot of fun together.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
We're gonna work on fun things.
That's right.
And now you got a different hattoday, right yes so tell me
what it is about the Rural RileyCounty Community Foundation
that you're proud of.

Speaker 3 (01:28):
Well, I'd say number one as Christine said, we just
hit the ground running is thatwe had our first meeting, set up
our board of directors and,within a year, had our first
match day, and the accumulationof funds that we were able to
bring to Rural Riley CountyCommunity Foundation just with
Match Day alone was, I think,monumental, and our community

(01:51):
has been incredibly supportiveall throughout the year, so
that's a plus too.
Match Day is just one piece.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
I remember seeing a bunch of y'all and if you're
rural I can say y'all.
I saw a bunch of you over herein the conference room when you
were just starting gettinginvolved in that and you got
some great community mindedpeople that are rallying
together to make this happen.

Speaker 3 (02:15):
That is totally right .
So rural Riley County CommunityFoundation encompasses Keats,
leonardville and Riley, and sothose are the northern Riley
counties that we currentlysupport, because some of the
other communities in our areaare supported by other community
foundations, so the area isvery community-minded.
They just may filter into otherareas of support, but rural

(02:38):
Riley County CommunityFoundation came together with
those three communities.
Rural Riley County CommunityFoundation came together with
those three communities and thenwe have three individuals from
Leonardville, riley and Keatscurrently serving as board of
directors, and then we also haveambassadors as well.
So if anybody's interested inwanting to do continued support
at a level of volunteerism, youjust winked at me, and I live in

(03:01):
the city.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
I just, you know, just want to clarify that.
We can always take people onthe outside too.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
Anybody can support the area.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
So what are some of the organizations that the rural
Riley County CommunityFoundation supports?

Speaker 3 (03:15):
Yes, the important part there is Riley County
because it are all thosecounties and we currently have
now 23, 26, actually 26 funds.
23 of them will be supportedthrough Match Day.
So variety from churches to thearea school district.
A lot of the different clubsand organizations and athletic

(03:39):
teams have funds, as well assome of our wellness and
different group support there.
So one to highlight is thecommunity food basket.
So the community food basket ofNorthern Riley County actually
is located in Riley and theirsupport is to provide food

(03:59):
insecurity to the folks in ourarea and they have a food pantry
in Riley.
And then we have blessing boxesin Riley and in Leonardville
and provide, of course, supportto Keats too, but being able to
have food in need for folks atall times.
So even though the food pantrymay be not open physically in

(04:20):
hours is those blessing boxesare always open.
So being able to provide thatsupport is that the community
food basket does not receive anykind of support, so they have
to go out and receive thosefunds.
So the community has been very,very supportive in that, in
providing food as well asproviding in funds.

Speaker 1 (04:39):
Do you work with the Food and Farm Council?

Speaker 3 (04:41):
Yes, yeah, so Doris Fritz is the one that is in
charge of the community foodbasket, so she's the director of
that, she works with FlintHills Food Basket a lot, and
then also we have harvesters inthe area too, so being able to
provide that support, theyactually come to Leonardville
and then also to Randolph too,which in northern Riley County

(05:02):
areas.
So those are the two key areasthat they end up coming.

Speaker 1 (05:07):
You know, christine, it sounds like you had the easy
job walking in here and takingover this as a lead in this
organization.
Oh, when you got people likeLori out here a lead in this
organization.
Oh, when you got people likeLori out here going to bat for
you.
Oh, yes, absolutely, they arethey so what is it you got to do
?
I mean, it sounds like it's alldone.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
I just have to make sure that they, they do it on
time.
So no, they I mean really theythey have been doing a wonderful
job and I haven't had to.
I mean, I, I provide supportfor marketing materials, website
help, um, just making sure youknow forms are put together and

(05:43):
you know that type of thing.
But they, they just they'redoing their thing and they're
doing that Great.

Speaker 1 (05:48):
Lori, was there one particular source of inspiration
that you can reflect back uponthat started your foundation?

Speaker 3 (05:58):
We all kind of had been talking about it, so it was
all a lot of talk, I would say,and I say that our inspiration
came from Clay County, so ClayCounty Improvement Foundation,
their foundation, improvementFoundation, their foundation.
Jared Hopper is one of ourresidents in our area and had

(06:19):
been involved in that and so hekind of I would say he was kind
of our spearhead.
And then those of us that cameto that first meeting didn't
necessarily think that we weregoing to be board members, but
it was very easy that it justall kind of came together.
So all of those board membersnow, as Christine mentioned,

(06:40):
jenny Anders is our presidentand Kim Bailey is vice president
, I am the treasurer, ian Petersis our secretary, jeff Bulk,
bryce Mojo, harold Oliver, joshReisner and Donnie Wilson, and
we all kind of came together.
Then we built our bylaws andeverything right away and then

(07:01):
encouraged to have someambassadors too.
So Darcy Potroff, donnaSullivan, Chandra Rostrom and
Mary Kay Stauffer and MelKnudson are all of our
ambassadors at the time and wereincreasing in that role.
So having more support there,that we've got a lot of monetary
support from our community.

(07:21):
But we hit the ground running,like Christine said, and had our
match day the very first yearand we had $23,000 in donor
match day support from areabusinesses and such, and we
raised over $97,000 last year.
So I think that we have pattedourselves on the back on that

(07:43):
one because that just shows whata great community that we do
have.

Speaker 1 (07:47):
So this will be your third.
This is our second match day,yeah.

Speaker 3 (07:50):
So we just started late in 2023.
And then 2024, we went ahead andI have our match day in August
and we have our match day againthis year August 28th and 29th,
and we already have secured$32,000 this year for our
support.
And so then our match day willbe the 28th and 29th, it will be
at Riley County High School andwe will have a preview on

(08:18):
Thursday with our fall previewfor sports at Riley County High
School Thursday evening, andthen on Friday we'll be
available all day at RileyCounty High School and then
we'll have satellite locationsover the lunch hour at
Leonardville at the LeonardvilleCommunity Building and at Keats
at the Community Center, andthen also at Riley at City Hall.
So you also have the capabilityto add online too.

Speaker 1 (08:36):
So you know there's that possibility.

Speaker 3 (08:38):
So you don't have to physically be there.
We'd love to have you, but youcan be in California or in Wayne
, nebraska or Weeping Water.

Speaker 1 (08:46):
Nebraska.
Well, let's see August 28th,29th and 29th.

Speaker 3 (08:51):
Where will you be that day?
Manhattan, Kansas, I think.

Speaker 1 (08:55):
Of course I may be in Leonardville, I may make a tour
.
See, there you go.
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (09:00):
Yeah, so our support, one of our donors lives in
California now but was agraduate of rural Riley High
School and so having thatsupport.
Like I said, they come fromnear and far, so we truly
appreciate that and we justcontinue to grow and help our
community.

Speaker 1 (09:19):
I've got a special fondness for all those
communities.
You may remember I served as acounty commissioner.

Speaker 2 (09:25):
My daughter went to Riley County High and lived in
Leonardville for a while.

Speaker 1 (09:30):
By the way, that new EMS station yeah, isn't that
just a great asset to the northpart of the county.

Speaker 2 (09:36):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (09:36):
I just drove by there the other day and saw it for
the first time.
I was coming back from WayneNebraska.
I just drove by there the otherday and saw it for the first
time I was coming back fromWayne Nebraska and just really,
really made me proud to havethat in Riley.

Speaker 3 (09:48):
County, yeah Well, and we have a new fire station
too, so fire station and EMS,and then we have a lot of
wellness support, punny, mentalhealth supports, also for the
rural Riley County CommunityFoundation and, like we said, we
have several other funds theretoo.
But I need to grow.

Speaker 1 (10:05):
Have you been here when we've had our match day in
Manhattan?
Yes, that was inspiration for us, and I was wondering that that
was the connection I was goingto make, laurie, because it
seems like you know, you know,and Krista Thomas and I talked
about this earlier in the firstpart of the program.
It's just like you know, whenyou have these things, it is
such an endearing opportunity toembrace the people in the

(10:27):
community Not you know also theorganizations.
It's a great learningexperience, but it is one of the
great community events of theyear and I hope that you know as
you get into your second one,that you have that same type of
atmosphere.

Speaker 3 (10:43):
Yeah, I feel like our match day just builds momentum
for the rest of the year, andit's a good time to come
together if you can.
And again, like we said, if youcan't, it's always online too.

Speaker 1 (10:54):
And the other aspect.
You know, and it ties into whatyou use, the word momentum, but
it's a, it's an awareness, youknow you, you improve the
awareness not just of what thecommunity foundation is doing in
rural Riley County but alsothose organizations 20, 26, 26
that you're helping to supportand continue to grow.

Speaker 3 (11:15):
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (11:16):
And you know, and every community foundation has
needs and we have wants and wehave goals, and it's neat that
when we have a match day that wecan just, you know, pull them
all together and make somethingspecial happen, right, yeah, you
look like you're pretty proudto be able to talk about this,
just looking at you now and youknow, just you know, this is

(11:39):
something that you're excitedfor.

Speaker 3 (11:40):
Yeah Good, it's good to see that we're small
communities but we're mighty,yeah, so.

Speaker 1 (11:45):
No kidding, have we covered everything for Match Day
for Rural Riley CountyCommunity Foundation?

Speaker 3 (11:51):
I think we've got most of it, yeah.

Speaker 1 (11:53):
Like.

Speaker 3 (11:53):
I said August 28th and 29th Riley County High
School, so please come out thereor our satellite locations or
online at rural Riley CF, JustCF.

Speaker 1 (12:06):
R-C-C-R-R-C-C-F.

Speaker 3 (12:09):
Well, and actually the website is ruralrileycforg.

Speaker 1 (12:16):
Ruralrileycountycforg .
That's according to my sheet.
Yes, I think that's right.

Speaker 2 (12:20):
RuralrileycountycForg .

Speaker 1 (12:21):
That's according to my sheet.
Yes, I think that's right.
Ruralrileycountycforg.

Speaker 3 (12:24):
There we go.

Speaker 1 (12:24):
But you can also connect through the GMCF website
which is MCFKSorg that one Iknow really well.

Speaker 3 (12:30):
Yes, yes, and too many letters there, but
RuralRileyCountyCForg.

Speaker 1 (12:34):
We do a lot of letters.
There you go, that's right.
A lot of abbreviations aroundhere.
You can.

Speaker 3 (12:41):
Google it, it'll pop right up.
Yeah, rural Riley.

Speaker 1 (12:47):
County Community Foundation.
Lori Rogge, always a delight tohave you.
Thanks for joining us here inthe GMCF community.
Our Christine Benny Yep man,that was the easiest interview
you've had today.
See, I don't they're just doingso great.

Speaker 2 (12:56):
I just sit there and watch them.
Watch them do their things.
So they're just doing so great.

Speaker 1 (12:58):
I just sit there and watch them, watch them do their
things.

Speaker 2 (13:01):
So they're there.
It's.
It's great working with them.
I really enjoy it.

Speaker 1 (13:04):
That's great to have everybody on and good luck on
match day.

Speaker 3 (13:07):
Thank you Appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (13:09):
The GMCF community hour continues when we return
for the break.
No-transcript.
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