May 12, 2025 • 30 mins
This week’s show featured the Salvation Army spokesperson Todd Andrews inviting the public to their fundraiser and scholarship award luncheon on May 13th, Outlook Nebraska’s Eric Stueckrath and Nina Rongisch discussing what they do to empower and employ the blind and visually impaired, and Bellevue Chamber director of community engagement Sarah Dighans describing how their “BellevueOpoloy” game connects residents and local nonprofits and businesses.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
This is Community Matters, a weekly public affairs program to
inform and entertain you with some of the great people, organizations,
and events in and around Omaha. Now here's the host
of the program from news radio eleven ten KFAB It's
Scott for Heats.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Thank you so much for being a part of our
program this week. The DJ's Heroes Awards Luncheon is coming
up here in just days from now on May thirteenth,
a chi downtown Omaha. And this is a wonderful annual event.
To talk more about it, we have a spokesperson for
the Salvation Army Western Division, Todd Andrews, is back here
(00:43):
on Community Matters, and Todd, it's good to have you
back on the show.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Scott, great to be here. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
I hope that by now everyone has a pretty good
handle on what the DJ's Heroes Awards Scholarship, the luncheon,
and everything about this event's all about. But just in
case someone just moved here five minutes ago, tell us
everything we need to know about how this event got
started and what's happening on May thirteenth.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Sure thing, absolutely so. The DJ's hero Awards Luncheon goes
back to a literally the turn of the millennium and
this will be our twenty twenty sixth installation of it.
This year and every year, we select Nebraska high school
seniors who have overcome just huge levels of adversity Scott
in their personal lives and their school lives, who are
(01:29):
deserving of scholarships. And thanks to the amazing generosity of
David and Peggy Socle, who's son, this award, someone who
is named after those students get twelve thousand dollars apiece
of the college or university of their choice. It goes
back to dj Socle, David and Peggy's late son who
passed away in nineteen ninety nine after a very courageous
and long battle with cancer. He was a Mount Michael
(01:51):
student who was just exceptional in every which way. He
was an outstanding student, an outstanding athlete, he truly cared
about others in his community, and he passed away shortly
after graduating in nineteen ninety nine, and his parents not
long after that named this event in his honor. And
we've been going for more than a quarter century now.
Two hundred and thirty eight students from across Nebraska have
(02:13):
been award of those scholarships. Now lifetime.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Of course, any father would rather have his son around,
but the legacy that has come out of that tragedy
has been an absolute godsend for so many students and
their families. You talk about these high school seniors who
have overcome adversity based on some of the previous recipients
(02:38):
of the scholarship, can you give us a story that
kind of embodies the kind of young person who's able
to get this award?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Absolutely, you'll forgive me the names Escape Maye Scott right now.
There have been so many, and I've been to ten
of these myself, between covering them at kd TV back
in the day and now working them as a Salvation
Army employee. But one that sticks out is a wonderful
and from Skyler. Again, forgive me, I'm spacing on her
name as we speak over the phone here, but she
was brought back as an alumni a couple of years
(03:08):
ago to inspire current heroes. I think she was awarded
Scott back in five or six. Long story short. Her
story was a memory serves growing up. Her home was
broken into by arsonists. It was set of fire. Two
of her siblings did not make it out of the fire.
I think a parent might not have made out of
the fire. She herself was burned over much of her body,
(03:29):
but she turned it around and was able to complete
school in Skylar, and then she became a DJ's hero
in either five or six through the socals generosity. She
went on to I Believe You in l and now
she is a paralegal in the Skylar, Columbus area. And
not just that, but she has a couple of family members,
as I recall Scot, who the circles themselves have reached out.
(03:52):
They were not those family members were not winners of
the award as she was, but the socals reached out
to them and put those kids through college too, which
is absolutely amazing and just an exemplar of their generosity.
So again, again forgive me for not remember that that
that hero's name, but she has done such such positive
work in the Skylar, Columbus community. And then not only
(04:13):
she benefit from the Soco Flar jests, but her relatives
did too. It's just emblematic of what this award launching
means to so many people stay wide.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Absolutely, and that's what I'm talking about when I talk
about this, this legacy that emanated from the tragedy of
the loss of DJ Sokel so many years ago. Well,
the period for applying for the scholarship is now up now.
I mean I know Gary Sadelmeyer from news radio eleven
ten kfab is among those who is part of the
(04:42):
selection process, and every year you can just see the
stress weaning on him. So many people apply for this
scholarship and you can't there's only so many scholarships each year,
and you just your heart goes out to these young
people and their families so often. Not that anyone has
any reason to be worried about them. These are incredible
(05:03):
young people, but you just you want to be able
to award the scholarship to everyone. Those who are chosen
are celebrated at this banquet, So tell everyone what they
need to do to be a part of this great event.
On May thirteenth, Dodd sure absolutely.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Tickets are on sale through the first week of May.
You can go to Djsero dot org. Djshro dot org
is our microsite for this. There are one hundred and
fifty dollars per or it's fifty one hundred per table
of ten. We've got a lot of companies and businesses
on board. Tickets are going fast as you might expect,
so our tables for corporate but we still have a
few left. Again, djshero dot org is the place to
(05:39):
go get those tickets through the first week of May.
Then we have to course close that down so that
we can have a whole week to make sure we
get the seating just right, the food order, just write
everything else because again the awards itself, the awards lunching
that selfs is a week after that on the thirteenth.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yeah, and for those who want to be a part
of this event on May thirteenth, the DJ's Heroes Award
Scholarship line un always features great speakers who's coming this year?
Speaker 3 (06:03):
This year we're placed to have two Olympians, Jackie Joyner
Cursey of course a six time Summer Games medalist and
Lolo Jones track and field and Bob Sledding superstar and
world champion and Bob Sledding and so we'll be hearing
their own individual stories about their journey Scott to overcome
adversity and become championship caliber athletes who of course represented
the America on the world stage, and we cannot wait
(06:26):
to hear from them as a bonus, We've got to
recently retired Creighton volleyball coach and legend Curson Brenthal Booth,
who's going to be joining us as a moderator for
what will be a panel discussion with both of our olympians.
So KBB will be upstate on up on stage with
Jackie Joiner Cursey as well as Lolo Jones. He'll be
a special tree for everybody in attendance.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Yeah, those names there, Jackie Joyner Kersey and Lolo Jones,
those hit a couple different generations of Olympic fans here
in this country'd be great to hear their perspective of
being there represent our nation from a couple of different perspectives.
So that's that's going to be an amazing eventage.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
It will, it will, indeed, And you know, Jackie Joinner
Cursey was named as Memory Serves Sportswomen of the of
the of the Century, if memory serves by s I
by Sports Illustrated back and I think the late nineties,
if I remember right, she had those astounding efforts during
the eighty four Olympics, amongst others, and so she's certainly
(07:25):
is someone that someone my age remember watching on TV.
As a little kid. I certainly remember those games very well.
I mean Lolo Jones more for the millennials and maybe
you know gen z Er is out there who might
identify more there since she's still you know, actively competing
with memory Serves and Bob Sledding and she has an
amazing story too, So so yeah, we we're very gratefully
that they were both available. You know, this goes we
(07:45):
have really high profile speakers like like those two ladies
sometimes are not available at the same day in the
same time, but they were were thankful for that. It's
going to be just a terrific pair to draw to.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
So once again, for those who want to be a
part of the special event on May thirteenth, what the
what do they need to do right now so they
don't miss out?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
For sure, go to djsher dot org. That's djshroo dot org.
That's our website for ticket sales and more information than
You can buy tickets there or you can purchase tickets
or a sponsorship there.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
The DJ's Hero Awards Luncheon just another great event throughout
the year by the Salvation Army. And I know that
you guys certainly at the Army are doing the most
good on a lot of different fronts. Certainly you think
about when you have storms, come through natural disasters, the
Salvation Army is there. This is yet just another way
(08:34):
that the Salvation Army is doing the most good in
our community. So we'll see you there May thirteenth at
Chi Health Center downtown omahafe a DJ's Hero Awards lunch
and Todd Andrews, spokesperson for the Salvation Army Western Division.
Great job again this year putting together another wonderful event
and honoring some wonderful young people here in our community.
(08:56):
And thanks so much for telling us about it on
Community Matters, wanted to be here. Thanks again, Scott, you're
listening to Community Matters. Next up on our program, Outlook
is celebrating twenty five years of empowering those who are
blind and visually impaired. You certainly are familiar with this organization.
Outlook has been a guest on this program several times
(09:17):
over the years, including the executive director of Outlook in Richmond,
Nina Rongus, joins us here in Nina. Welcome back to
Community Matters.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
Thanks for Adam. Scott is excited to be here.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
We're going to welcome CEO Eric Stutkgrath on the program
here shortly. But first, Nina, let's talk with you about
congratulations twenty five years at Outlook. What does that mean
to be a part of this wonderful organization taking care
of the blind and visually impaired in our area?
Speaker 4 (09:43):
You know, Scott, I just feel very blessed that I
get to be a part of this organization and work
with so many amazing individuals internally and externally every day.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Yeah, it's amazing. And it's the largest employer for the
blind in Nebraska as we as well as the region right.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
Correct, within the seventh state region, we are the largest
employer of those who are blind or visually impaired.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Fantastic. And one big thing that you guys do every
single year is a really fun golf tournament. The twenty
first tee it up first Site golf tournament is coming
up here on June fourth. How do people get a
chance to be a part of that, Nina?
Speaker 4 (10:24):
They can contact me directly or they can go to
Outlook een dot org to register.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Outlook e N is an Outlook Enrichment Outlook e N
dot org. So this is coming up on June fourth here,
tell me about what people are getting themselves into when
they play in this golf tournament coming up this summer.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
Well, we're not your normal run of the milk golf tournament.
One thing we'd like to do to set ourselves apart
is bring our mission into the golf tournament. So we
pair our golf tournament with the Stanley Untrussen Junior Blind
Golfers Clinic. So out there we'll have four individuals who
are low vision or blind golfing. But on the putting
(11:06):
green out of Tiberan, every golfer gets handed a heap
shade and they have to try to make a putt blindfolded,
and if they do get it in their first shot,
then they get to take a hole in one anywhere
on the course. Then on a couple other course challenges,
we bring in our immersion goggles that simulate some of
(11:27):
the different eye conditions that individuals have, and they can
try to tee off with those goggles on.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Yeah, putting is hard enough without the blindfold or the
immersion goggles that you're talking about here in Nina. So
this is a way that people can not only have
some fun in doing this, but also realize how much
those of us with sight take for granted every single day.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Correct. Yeah, and just one team of four fund nineteen
hours of service helping those who are blind and low
vision in our community.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Outlook een dot org to learn more about the twenty
first tee it Up Foresight Golf Tournament coming up on
June fourth. It's at Tibaran out there I Gretna. So
if people want to sign up for this, sign up
as a foursome, as an individual. What's the best way
for people to do it? And what are the deadlines
involved for getting the chance to be a part of this,
(12:24):
Because it's coming.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Right up, It is coming up. We like everybody registered
by May twenty eight. Again, they can go to Outlook
een dot org to register if they're unable to attend
but still want to help us out. We do have
some sponsorships still available. They could give me a call
and you could work on that together, or they can
do a donation on our donation page.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Is that also through Outlook een dot org. Yes, it
is wonderful. Nina, Thank you so much for what you
and Outlook and Richmond are doing to assist the blind
and visually impaired in our area and It's going to
be a really fun event there at Tiberan on June fourth,
that's a Wednesday day of the week.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
Yes, correct.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Each registration opens at nine point thirty and we shotguns
start at eleven.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Okay, excellent banquet to follow.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
Correct. We have with their the cost of golf course challenges,
swag bag, eighteen holes of golf, lunch and dinner and prizes.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
And this is happening here as people are getting registered
during the month of May Healthy Vision Month. So, Nina,
I know that everything that you and all our friends
at Outlook are doing to assist the blind and visually impaired,
of which they're and more and more every single year.
You're there to meet those needs and with the case
(13:48):
of this golf tournament, have some fun while doing it. Nina,
wrongis Outlook Enrichment Executive Director. Thank you so much for
being on our program this week.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Thank you for having me, Scott.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
And now we welcome and CEO of Outlook, Eric Stukrat
back here on the program. Eric, Welcome back to Community Matters.
Speaker 6 (14:06):
Thanks for having me Scott.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
As we were talking there with Nina, twenty five years
I've empowering the blind and visually impaired at Outlook. That
is a really special thing to be a part of.
You've been a part of it for how long?
Speaker 6 (14:19):
A little over twenty four of those years, so quite
a long time, and it has been an absolute blessing
to see what this mission has been able to grow
through in the last two plus decades.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Talk to me about those twenty five years of being
there without Look and where you started, how you've gotten
to where you are today, and what you hope to
accomplish in the future.
Speaker 6 (14:44):
Absolutely, we started with primary purpose to employ people who
are blind, and we did that as part of the
Ability one program, which is a federal program that agrees
to essentially buy products and services from people who are
blind or have other severe disabilities. And we have been
(15:05):
able to produce janitorial paper products since the middle of
two thousand and one, and that has been steadily increasing.
We employ more than fifty people in the production of products.
And since that got going, we learned so many other
things that people who are blind could need throughout their
(15:28):
day or their career, or just order groceries, whatever that
might be. And we continue to grow and I know
you talked to Nina just a little bit ago and
she talked about the enrichment programs that have grown and
we helped people through their day, make it a better day,
a brighter day, and hopefully to help fill a little
bit of optimism in what's to come in their life.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
How was it decided that toilet paper manufacturing would be
that which Outlook would be a huge part.
Speaker 6 (15:56):
Of We actually had an arrangement with a local recycling
company and they approached Duluth Lighthouse for the Blind back
in about ninety nine, late ninety nine and wanted to
have the Dalut Lighthouse be a customer. And at that time,
the Lighthouse was struggling a bit in their business model,
(16:18):
and they ultimately said, hey, why don't you advocate for
an organization like us in Oma And that's kind of
how it got going. We had three board members then
that independent members that formed the organization and the rest
is kind of history. We picked up the most of
the product line that Duluth was producing and brought it
to Omaha.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
It's an amazing thing to witness there at Outlook the
production of this paper and it's something that is used
across the country, if not the world. With the various contracts,
you guys have. But the most amazing part of it
is how those who are blind or visually impaired or
able to navigate a fatactory environment and be able to
(17:02):
do all of this with special accommodations. For those who
are blind or visually impaired, you also are able to
do that in a variety of other ways and mostly
involving technology and things like that. What do you hope
to accomplish here as we talk with the president and
CEO of Outlook, Eric Stuchrath with us on community matters
and the twenty five years ahead, helped in part by
(17:24):
the funds from the upcoming golf tournament.
Speaker 6 (17:28):
Yeah, we intend to stay on the leading edge of technology.
It is one of those things that when you intentionally
think about how to make your organization a bit more
adaptive and ready to accept people with all their differences,
no matter what those are physical, even mental and psychological
differences that might be in play. That intentionality and staying
(17:54):
on front of technology is really where that happens, and
it usually isn't as usually isn't as constantly no troublesome,
is what one would believe, and when you make your
workforce so welcoming to people that have different abilities, you
tend to build a lot of loyalty and a lot
of camaraderie, and the culture overall takes a huge, huge
(18:15):
improvement just by having all of those different people that
are pulling in the same direction and pushing to get
work done and to prove themselves out in the workplace.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Not only do you have to meet the needs of
those who currently are dealing with the being blind or
visually impaired, but looking here at the future, this number
is not going to go down, if anything, It's going
to rise exponentially, isn't it.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
Absolutely With diabetes and therefore diabetic retinopathy that hits a
lot of adults in their mid twenties to mid thirties.
With the aging population, the boomers that are going through
maculated generation, there are a number of massive leading in
caters and places that the blindness shows up, and we
(19:04):
hope to be relevant in those spaces by understanding the
different tools and resources they might need, the experiences that
they want to have and or all the things that
they want to continue doing, and figuring out what we
have to put in front of them, and having them
help us to identify all of those things that they
can deploy in their daily life.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
For people who maybe are or know someone who is
blind or visually impaired, maybe in later years thinking well,
I don't want to I'm not going to go work
in the factory. I'm retired here, but I'm losing my vision.
I don't want to miss out on some of the
things I've experienced my entire life, looking at my phone,
(19:45):
looking at my TV, seeing my grandkids perform in various
school plays.
Speaker 5 (19:49):
Here.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
How can they reach out and see what resources are
available for them.
Speaker 6 (19:56):
Yeah, if you search Outlook Nebraska or Outlook Enrichment in Omaha,
you will find our websites and contact numbers. We have
peer support groups that link people up with people going
through similar issues and they all help each other. They
all kind of link arms and help them get those
little individual freedoms that you just talked about back and
(20:19):
make sure that they can continue them. So they can
always reach out via our interest forms or give us
a call at the office.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Outlook dot org. That's one of the websites Eric there
was talking about. Also, that's where you can go and
sign up for the event. Eric, I know you'll be
at the twenty first annual tee. It up for site
golf tournament at Tiberan on Wednesday, June fourth. It's going
to be a really fun day. You can raise a
bunch of money to help out the blind and visually
impaired via Outlook Nebraska right here out of our community
(20:51):
in Omaha, and have some fun while doing it. You
can sign up your team or as an individual, or
if you want to help as a sponsor of volunteer.
It's all right there at Outlook e and for Outlook
Enrichment outlookan dot org. Eric Stukrath, who is President and
CEO of Outlook, as well as Nina Rangish, the executive
(21:11):
director of Outlook in Richmond, thank you so much for
what you both are doing to help out the blind
and visually impaired in our community, and thanks for telling
us about it on Community Matters.
Speaker 5 (21:22):
Bet.
Speaker 6 (21:22):
Thanks a lot, Scott. It's been great to get to
know you and you do a great show.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Thank you you're listening to Community Matters and up next
we welcome back to the show the director of Community
Engagement with the City of Bellevue, Nebraska, Sarah Diggins, is
back here on Community Matters. Sarah's time to play Bellevueopoly.
What's going on there in Bellevue.
Speaker 5 (21:43):
Hey, Scott, thanks so much for having me. We are
so excited to be bringing back Bellevueoppoli for its second
year the bellevueed Chamber of Commerce and Community. We are
so excited to have this event and it is It
was a hit last year. I mean, it's been a
hit so far. We started it back on April first,
and it's already going strong.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
All right, So how do people play Bellevue Opoly?
Speaker 5 (22:07):
Yes, great question. So first thing to know is that
it is open to anyone and everyone in the metro area,
so you don't have to liver work in Bellevue in
order to play. We welcome people from all of the
surrounding areas and you can get game boards from any
of our locations that are participating this year. And the
(22:27):
best way to find out who those places are is
to follow our Facebook which is at Bellevue Chamber of
Commerce ne for Nebraska and you can see the full
list of all of our participating businesses and nonprofits right
there where you can pick up your game board. And
then we also have game boards available here at the
Chamber office.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Now, obviously the name Bellevueopoly a take off on a
very popular board game that I don't know if I'm
allowed to mention in case there're trademark infringement problems here,
but I'm guessing that the inner play between Bellevueopoly and
Monopoly is probably pretty close. How do I win the
game of Bellevueopoly? And how much money do I get
(23:09):
when I pass go? And how do I get out
of jail?
Speaker 5 (23:14):
All wonderful questions. Yes, so our game is very loosely
based on Monopoly, but ours is a little bit different.
So the goal is really to connect our community members
and the surrounding metro area with businesses that we have
here in Bellevue, So it plays a little bit different
than your traditional Monopoly would. So basically, when you get
(23:37):
your game board, you will visit each of the businesses
on the board, and when you go in, your goal
is to collect a stamp. So you get a stamp
one of two ways. You either share a shout out
on Facebook and tag the business or mention the business,
or you can purchase something or donate something if it's
(23:57):
a nonprofit. If you do one of those things, is
that your visit you will get a stamp. You'll get
one stamp if you do both of those things, share
on Facebook and make a purchase, or share on Facebook
and donate something if it's a nonprofit, then you will
also get a bonus stamp. So as you're playing the
game and you're collecting those stamps, each of the squares
(24:19):
that you're getting a stamp on has a point value,
And at the end of the game, when you turn
in your board, we will tally up all of the
points that you've acquired and we'll put you in the
different price categories for thousands of dollars worth of prices.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Wonderful. So all everything is explained on What's the website
we go to to learn more?
Speaker 5 (24:38):
So our Facebook handle is at Bellevue Chamber of Commerce
n E.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
All right, so on Facebook just look up Bellevue Chamber
of Commerce. What about when you go to the participating
locations and you say, all right, what am I doing?
How do I play? Do they have enough of a
fighting knowledge of this to be able to talk you
through it?
Speaker 5 (24:59):
They definitely do. And we also have all of the
summarized rules on each game board two. So if you're
ever having some questions or wondering on how things work,
that will be right in front of you as you're
playing the game. But then we have all of the
informational types of posts pinned on our Facebook page and
so they're right up at the top when you hit
(25:19):
our like button and follow us.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Excellent. Sarah Diggins with us here for a few more
minutes on community matters. She is the director of Community
Engagement with Belleve, Nebraska. Bellevue Opoly is underway, but there
is a limited time to play this game. It's coming up.
The deadline is at the end of the month, right.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
Correct, Friday, May thirtieth.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Okay, so this is the second year that you guys
have done this right correct?
Speaker 6 (25:44):
Well?
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Yes, what kind of feedback did you get from some
of the businesses and nonprofits in Bellevue as well as
those who played the game from last year? To make
it even better this year, we.
Speaker 5 (25:56):
Got resounding positive feedback. The businesses and non profits that
were on the board last year absolutely loved it. They
were able to meet a lot of new community members,
they met some familiar faces. The patrons who played the
game loved discovering new businesses that we have here in town.
(26:18):
And it was kind of crazy how many times we
kept hearing man I didn't know that we had that
in our own backyard, which as a chamber is the
best compliment that we could get on having those community
members discover, you know, what's here and what's available to them,
and the feedback this year has been very much the same.
So it's just a great, a great opportunity to just
(26:39):
have some fun, hit the streets in the spring, see
what's out there, get some prizes, and show some support
for our wonderful Bellevue community.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
Yeah, and obviously just being a bigger part of the
community is a win in and of itself for those
who want to win, win When playing Bellevue Opoly and think, wait,
it's already started too late, I can't win. I'm too
late in the game. What is the opportunity for those
who haven't even started playing yet.
Speaker 5 (27:07):
It is never too late to get in the game,
so we would encourage you all to get your game board,
even if you're starting in the last week. We have
prizes available for all different levels, So as long as
you get at least three stamps from three different businesses
you and turning your game board, you are eligible to
win a prize. So we have about fifteen different prizes
(27:30):
this year. And you don't have to complete the entire
board in order to turn it in. So just get
out there, support, get as many stamps as you are able,
and we want to put you in our prize drawings
for these awesome, fantastic prizes that have been donated by
our wonderful community.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Wonderful just go on Facebook and search Bellevue Chamber of Commerce.
What about those who aren't on Facebook.
Speaker 5 (27:56):
If you're not on Facebook, my best advice would be
to give this spot a listen, and then you know,
we've got some friends. So this is a kind of
a unique game. We are doing most of it on Facebook,
so for all of the updates and the information, you
really kind of have to be able to get to
Facebook to find it. We've been very fortunate with some
(28:18):
media spots like this one with kfab, so we're very grateful.
But right now, at least for the current time and
the current play period, our updates are shared exclusively on Facebook.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Yeah, and Facebook is free to have a Facebook page
there and it's really easy to navigate as well. So
when you're on Facebook, search Bellevue Chamber of Commerce and
get all the details about Bellevueopoly going on through the
end of the month May thirtieth, Sarah Diggins as director
of Community Engagement, and she's been the person wearing the
(28:50):
top hat and the monocle and the suit here for
Bellevue Opoly. You've been in charge of this now for
two years and it's a lot of fun. Sarah. Thank
you so much for what you're doing to increase community
engagement there in Bellevue, and thanks for telling us about
it on Community Matters.
Speaker 5 (29:04):
You are welcome. Thank you so much for having.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Us on the show again, and thank you so much
for listening to Community Matters this week on this iHeartMedia,
Omaha radio station from news Radio eleven ten KFAB. I'm
Scott Borhes. If you're looking for copies of this or
other editions of our program, you can find it at
kfab dot com. We have it under the podcast link.
(29:26):
Go to kfab dot com and on the dropdown menu
under podcast click on weekend shows and you'll find Community
Matters right there on the dropdown menu under podcasts and
weekend Shows at kfab dot com.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
This has been Community Matters, a weekly public affairs special
on Cat one O three Omaha's Greatest Hits ninety nine
point nine KGO R NewsRadio eleven ten KFAB, Country's Greatest Hits,
ninety three three The Wolf and ninety six one Kiss FM.
Thank you so much for listening and enjoy the rest
of your day.
Speaker 6 (30:00):
Night
This is Community Matters, a weekly public affairs program to
inform and entertain you with some of the great people, organizations,
and events in and around Omaha. Now here's the host
of the program from news radio eleven ten KFAB It's
Scott for Heats.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Thank you so much for being a part of our
program this week. The DJ's Heroes Awards Luncheon is coming
up here in just days from now on May thirteenth,
a chi downtown Omaha. And this is a wonderful annual event.
To talk more about it, we have a spokesperson for
the Salvation Army Western Division, Todd Andrews, is back here
(00:43):
on Community Matters, and Todd, it's good to have you
back on the show.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Scott, great to be here. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
I hope that by now everyone has a pretty good
handle on what the DJ's Heroes Awards Scholarship, the luncheon,
and everything about this event's all about. But just in
case someone just moved here five minutes ago, tell us
everything we need to know about how this event got
started and what's happening on May thirteenth.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Sure thing, absolutely so. The DJ's hero Awards Luncheon goes
back to a literally the turn of the millennium and
this will be our twenty twenty sixth installation of it.
This year and every year, we select Nebraska high school
seniors who have overcome just huge levels of adversity Scott
in their personal lives and their school lives, who are
(01:29):
deserving of scholarships. And thanks to the amazing generosity of
David and Peggy Socle, who's son, this award, someone who
is named after those students get twelve thousand dollars apiece
of the college or university of their choice. It goes
back to dj Socle, David and Peggy's late son who
passed away in nineteen ninety nine after a very courageous
and long battle with cancer. He was a Mount Michael
(01:51):
student who was just exceptional in every which way. He
was an outstanding student, an outstanding athlete, he truly cared
about others in his community, and he passed away shortly
after graduating in nineteen ninety nine, and his parents not
long after that named this event in his honor. And
we've been going for more than a quarter century now.
Two hundred and thirty eight students from across Nebraska have
(02:13):
been award of those scholarships. Now lifetime.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Of course, any father would rather have his son around,
but the legacy that has come out of that tragedy
has been an absolute godsend for so many students and
their families. You talk about these high school seniors who
have overcome adversity based on some of the previous recipients
(02:38):
of the scholarship, can you give us a story that
kind of embodies the kind of young person who's able
to get this award?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Absolutely, you'll forgive me the names Escape Maye Scott right now.
There have been so many, and I've been to ten
of these myself, between covering them at kd TV back
in the day and now working them as a Salvation
Army employee. But one that sticks out is a wonderful
and from Skyler. Again, forgive me, I'm spacing on her
name as we speak over the phone here, but she
was brought back as an alumni a couple of years
(03:08):
ago to inspire current heroes. I think she was awarded
Scott back in five or six. Long story short. Her
story was a memory serves growing up. Her home was
broken into by arsonists. It was set of fire. Two
of her siblings did not make it out of the fire.
I think a parent might not have made out of
the fire. She herself was burned over much of her body,
(03:29):
but she turned it around and was able to complete
school in Skylar, and then she became a DJ's hero
in either five or six through the socals generosity. She
went on to I Believe You in l and now
she is a paralegal in the Skylar, Columbus area. And
not just that, but she has a couple of family members,
as I recall Scot, who the circles themselves have reached out.
(03:52):
They were not those family members were not winners of
the award as she was, but the socals reached out
to them and put those kids through college too, which
is absolutely amazing and just an exemplar of their generosity.
So again, again forgive me for not remember that that
that hero's name, but she has done such such positive
work in the Skylar, Columbus community. And then not only
(04:13):
she benefit from the Soco Flar jests, but her relatives
did too. It's just emblematic of what this award launching
means to so many people stay wide.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Absolutely, and that's what I'm talking about when I talk
about this, this legacy that emanated from the tragedy of
the loss of DJ Sokel so many years ago. Well,
the period for applying for the scholarship is now up now.
I mean I know Gary Sadelmeyer from news radio eleven
ten kfab is among those who is part of the
(04:42):
selection process, and every year you can just see the
stress weaning on him. So many people apply for this
scholarship and you can't there's only so many scholarships each year,
and you just your heart goes out to these young
people and their families so often. Not that anyone has
any reason to be worried about them. These are incredible
(05:03):
young people, but you just you want to be able
to award the scholarship to everyone. Those who are chosen
are celebrated at this banquet, So tell everyone what they
need to do to be a part of this great event.
On May thirteenth, Dodd sure absolutely.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Tickets are on sale through the first week of May.
You can go to Djsero dot org. Djshro dot org
is our microsite for this. There are one hundred and
fifty dollars per or it's fifty one hundred per table
of ten. We've got a lot of companies and businesses
on board. Tickets are going fast as you might expect,
so our tables for corporate but we still have a
few left. Again, djshero dot org is the place to
(05:39):
go get those tickets through the first week of May.
Then we have to course close that down so that
we can have a whole week to make sure we
get the seating just right, the food order, just write
everything else because again the awards itself, the awards lunching
that selfs is a week after that on the thirteenth.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yeah, and for those who want to be a part
of this event on May thirteenth, the DJ's Heroes Award
Scholarship line un always features great speakers who's coming this year?
Speaker 3 (06:03):
This year we're placed to have two Olympians, Jackie Joyner
Cursey of course a six time Summer Games medalist and
Lolo Jones track and field and Bob Sledding superstar and
world champion and Bob Sledding and so we'll be hearing
their own individual stories about their journey Scott to overcome
adversity and become championship caliber athletes who of course represented
the America on the world stage, and we cannot wait
(06:26):
to hear from them as a bonus, We've got to
recently retired Creighton volleyball coach and legend Curson Brenthal Booth,
who's going to be joining us as a moderator for
what will be a panel discussion with both of our olympians.
So KBB will be upstate on up on stage with
Jackie Joiner Cursey as well as Lolo Jones. He'll be
a special tree for everybody in attendance.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Yeah, those names there, Jackie Joyner Kersey and Lolo Jones,
those hit a couple different generations of Olympic fans here
in this country'd be great to hear their perspective of
being there represent our nation from a couple of different perspectives.
So that's that's going to be an amazing eventage.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
It will, it will, indeed, And you know, Jackie Joinner
Cursey was named as Memory Serves Sportswomen of the of
the of the Century, if memory serves by s I
by Sports Illustrated back and I think the late nineties,
if I remember right, she had those astounding efforts during
the eighty four Olympics, amongst others, and so she's certainly
(07:25):
is someone that someone my age remember watching on TV.
As a little kid. I certainly remember those games very well.
I mean Lolo Jones more for the millennials and maybe
you know gen z Er is out there who might
identify more there since she's still you know, actively competing
with memory Serves and Bob Sledding and she has an
amazing story too, So so yeah, we we're very gratefully
that they were both available. You know, this goes we
(07:45):
have really high profile speakers like like those two ladies
sometimes are not available at the same day in the
same time, but they were were thankful for that. It's
going to be just a terrific pair to draw to.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
So once again, for those who want to be a
part of the special event on May thirteenth, what the
what do they need to do right now so they
don't miss out?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
For sure, go to djsher dot org. That's djshroo dot org.
That's our website for ticket sales and more information than
You can buy tickets there or you can purchase tickets
or a sponsorship there.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
The DJ's Hero Awards Luncheon just another great event throughout
the year by the Salvation Army. And I know that
you guys certainly at the Army are doing the most
good on a lot of different fronts. Certainly you think
about when you have storms, come through natural disasters, the
Salvation Army is there. This is yet just another way
(08:34):
that the Salvation Army is doing the most good in
our community. So we'll see you there May thirteenth at
Chi Health Center downtown omahafe a DJ's Hero Awards lunch
and Todd Andrews, spokesperson for the Salvation Army Western Division.
Great job again this year putting together another wonderful event
and honoring some wonderful young people here in our community.
(08:56):
And thanks so much for telling us about it on
Community Matters, wanted to be here. Thanks again, Scott, you're
listening to Community Matters. Next up on our program, Outlook
is celebrating twenty five years of empowering those who are
blind and visually impaired. You certainly are familiar with this organization.
Outlook has been a guest on this program several times
(09:17):
over the years, including the executive director of Outlook in Richmond,
Nina Rongus, joins us here in Nina. Welcome back to
Community Matters.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
Thanks for Adam. Scott is excited to be here.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
We're going to welcome CEO Eric Stutkgrath on the program
here shortly. But first, Nina, let's talk with you about
congratulations twenty five years at Outlook. What does that mean
to be a part of this wonderful organization taking care
of the blind and visually impaired in our area?
Speaker 4 (09:43):
You know, Scott, I just feel very blessed that I
get to be a part of this organization and work
with so many amazing individuals internally and externally every day.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Yeah, it's amazing. And it's the largest employer for the
blind in Nebraska as we as well as the region right.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
Correct, within the seventh state region, we are the largest
employer of those who are blind or visually impaired.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Fantastic. And one big thing that you guys do every
single year is a really fun golf tournament. The twenty
first tee it up first Site golf tournament is coming
up here on June fourth. How do people get a
chance to be a part of that, Nina?
Speaker 4 (10:24):
They can contact me directly or they can go to
Outlook een dot org to register.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Outlook e N is an Outlook Enrichment Outlook e N
dot org. So this is coming up on June fourth here,
tell me about what people are getting themselves into when
they play in this golf tournament coming up this summer.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
Well, we're not your normal run of the milk golf tournament.
One thing we'd like to do to set ourselves apart
is bring our mission into the golf tournament. So we
pair our golf tournament with the Stanley Untrussen Junior Blind
Golfers Clinic. So out there we'll have four individuals who
are low vision or blind golfing. But on the putting
(11:06):
green out of Tiberan, every golfer gets handed a heap
shade and they have to try to make a putt blindfolded,
and if they do get it in their first shot,
then they get to take a hole in one anywhere
on the course. Then on a couple other course challenges,
we bring in our immersion goggles that simulate some of
(11:27):
the different eye conditions that individuals have, and they can
try to tee off with those goggles on.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Yeah, putting is hard enough without the blindfold or the
immersion goggles that you're talking about here in Nina. So
this is a way that people can not only have
some fun in doing this, but also realize how much
those of us with sight take for granted every single day.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Correct. Yeah, and just one team of four fund nineteen
hours of service helping those who are blind and low
vision in our community.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Outlook een dot org to learn more about the twenty
first tee it Up Foresight Golf Tournament coming up on
June fourth. It's at Tibaran out there I Gretna. So
if people want to sign up for this, sign up
as a foursome, as an individual. What's the best way
for people to do it? And what are the deadlines
involved for getting the chance to be a part of this,
(12:24):
Because it's coming.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Right up, It is coming up. We like everybody registered
by May twenty eight. Again, they can go to Outlook
een dot org to register if they're unable to attend
but still want to help us out. We do have
some sponsorships still available. They could give me a call
and you could work on that together, or they can
do a donation on our donation page.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Is that also through Outlook een dot org. Yes, it
is wonderful. Nina, Thank you so much for what you
and Outlook and Richmond are doing to assist the blind
and visually impaired in our area and It's going to
be a really fun event there at Tiberan on June fourth,
that's a Wednesday day of the week.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
Yes, correct.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Each registration opens at nine point thirty and we shotguns
start at eleven.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Okay, excellent banquet to follow.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
Correct. We have with their the cost of golf course challenges,
swag bag, eighteen holes of golf, lunch and dinner and prizes.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
And this is happening here as people are getting registered
during the month of May Healthy Vision Month. So, Nina,
I know that everything that you and all our friends
at Outlook are doing to assist the blind and visually impaired,
of which they're and more and more every single year.
You're there to meet those needs and with the case
(13:48):
of this golf tournament, have some fun while doing it. Nina,
wrongis Outlook Enrichment Executive Director. Thank you so much for
being on our program this week.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Thank you for having me, Scott.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
And now we welcome and CEO of Outlook, Eric Stukrat
back here on the program. Eric, Welcome back to Community Matters.
Speaker 6 (14:06):
Thanks for having me Scott.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
As we were talking there with Nina, twenty five years
I've empowering the blind and visually impaired at Outlook. That
is a really special thing to be a part of.
You've been a part of it for how long?
Speaker 6 (14:19):
A little over twenty four of those years, so quite
a long time, and it has been an absolute blessing
to see what this mission has been able to grow
through in the last two plus decades.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Talk to me about those twenty five years of being
there without Look and where you started, how you've gotten
to where you are today, and what you hope to
accomplish in the future.
Speaker 6 (14:44):
Absolutely, we started with primary purpose to employ people who
are blind, and we did that as part of the
Ability one program, which is a federal program that agrees
to essentially buy products and services from people who are
blind or have other severe disabilities. And we have been
(15:05):
able to produce janitorial paper products since the middle of
two thousand and one, and that has been steadily increasing.
We employ more than fifty people in the production of products.
And since that got going, we learned so many other
things that people who are blind could need throughout their
(15:28):
day or their career, or just order groceries, whatever that
might be. And we continue to grow and I know
you talked to Nina just a little bit ago and
she talked about the enrichment programs that have grown and
we helped people through their day, make it a better day,
a brighter day, and hopefully to help fill a little
bit of optimism in what's to come in their life.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
How was it decided that toilet paper manufacturing would be
that which Outlook would be a huge part.
Speaker 6 (15:56):
Of We actually had an arrangement with a local recycling
company and they approached Duluth Lighthouse for the Blind back
in about ninety nine, late ninety nine and wanted to
have the Dalut Lighthouse be a customer. And at that time,
the Lighthouse was struggling a bit in their business model,
(16:18):
and they ultimately said, hey, why don't you advocate for
an organization like us in Oma And that's kind of
how it got going. We had three board members then
that independent members that formed the organization and the rest
is kind of history. We picked up the most of
the product line that Duluth was producing and brought it
to Omaha.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
It's an amazing thing to witness there at Outlook the
production of this paper and it's something that is used
across the country, if not the world. With the various contracts,
you guys have. But the most amazing part of it
is how those who are blind or visually impaired or
able to navigate a fatactory environment and be able to
(17:02):
do all of this with special accommodations. For those who
are blind or visually impaired, you also are able to
do that in a variety of other ways and mostly
involving technology and things like that. What do you hope
to accomplish here as we talk with the president and
CEO of Outlook, Eric Stuchrath with us on community matters
and the twenty five years ahead, helped in part by
(17:24):
the funds from the upcoming golf tournament.
Speaker 6 (17:28):
Yeah, we intend to stay on the leading edge of technology.
It is one of those things that when you intentionally
think about how to make your organization a bit more
adaptive and ready to accept people with all their differences,
no matter what those are physical, even mental and psychological
differences that might be in play. That intentionality and staying
(17:54):
on front of technology is really where that happens, and
it usually isn't as usually isn't as constantly no troublesome,
is what one would believe, and when you make your
workforce so welcoming to people that have different abilities, you
tend to build a lot of loyalty and a lot
of camaraderie, and the culture overall takes a huge, huge
(18:15):
improvement just by having all of those different people that
are pulling in the same direction and pushing to get
work done and to prove themselves out in the workplace.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Not only do you have to meet the needs of
those who currently are dealing with the being blind or
visually impaired, but looking here at the future, this number
is not going to go down, if anything, It's going
to rise exponentially, isn't it.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
Absolutely With diabetes and therefore diabetic retinopathy that hits a
lot of adults in their mid twenties to mid thirties.
With the aging population, the boomers that are going through
maculated generation, there are a number of massive leading in
caters and places that the blindness shows up, and we
(19:04):
hope to be relevant in those spaces by understanding the
different tools and resources they might need, the experiences that
they want to have and or all the things that
they want to continue doing, and figuring out what we
have to put in front of them, and having them
help us to identify all of those things that they
can deploy in their daily life.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
For people who maybe are or know someone who is
blind or visually impaired, maybe in later years thinking well,
I don't want to I'm not going to go work
in the factory. I'm retired here, but I'm losing my vision.
I don't want to miss out on some of the
things I've experienced my entire life, looking at my phone,
(19:45):
looking at my TV, seeing my grandkids perform in various
school plays.
Speaker 5 (19:49):
Here.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
How can they reach out and see what resources are
available for them.
Speaker 6 (19:56):
Yeah, if you search Outlook Nebraska or Outlook Enrichment in Omaha,
you will find our websites and contact numbers. We have
peer support groups that link people up with people going
through similar issues and they all help each other. They
all kind of link arms and help them get those
little individual freedoms that you just talked about back and
(20:19):
make sure that they can continue them. So they can
always reach out via our interest forms or give us
a call at the office.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Outlook dot org. That's one of the websites Eric there
was talking about. Also, that's where you can go and
sign up for the event. Eric, I know you'll be
at the twenty first annual tee. It up for site
golf tournament at Tiberan on Wednesday, June fourth. It's going
to be a really fun day. You can raise a
bunch of money to help out the blind and visually
impaired via Outlook Nebraska right here out of our community
(20:51):
in Omaha, and have some fun while doing it. You
can sign up your team or as an individual, or
if you want to help as a sponsor of volunteer.
It's all right there at Outlook e and for Outlook
Enrichment outlookan dot org. Eric Stukrath, who is President and
CEO of Outlook, as well as Nina Rangish, the executive
(21:11):
director of Outlook in Richmond, thank you so much for
what you both are doing to help out the blind
and visually impaired in our community, and thanks for telling
us about it on Community Matters.
Speaker 5 (21:22):
Bet.
Speaker 6 (21:22):
Thanks a lot, Scott. It's been great to get to
know you and you do a great show.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Thank you you're listening to Community Matters and up next
we welcome back to the show the director of Community
Engagement with the City of Bellevue, Nebraska, Sarah Diggins, is
back here on Community Matters. Sarah's time to play Bellevueopoly.
What's going on there in Bellevue.
Speaker 5 (21:43):
Hey, Scott, thanks so much for having me. We are
so excited to be bringing back Bellevueoppoli for its second
year the bellevueed Chamber of Commerce and Community. We are
so excited to have this event and it is It
was a hit last year. I mean, it's been a
hit so far. We started it back on April first,
and it's already going strong.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
All right, So how do people play Bellevue Opoly?
Speaker 5 (22:07):
Yes, great question. So first thing to know is that
it is open to anyone and everyone in the metro area,
so you don't have to liver work in Bellevue in
order to play. We welcome people from all of the
surrounding areas and you can get game boards from any
of our locations that are participating this year. And the
(22:27):
best way to find out who those places are is
to follow our Facebook which is at Bellevue Chamber of
Commerce ne for Nebraska and you can see the full
list of all of our participating businesses and nonprofits right
there where you can pick up your game board. And
then we also have game boards available here at the
Chamber office.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Now, obviously the name Bellevueopoly a take off on a
very popular board game that I don't know if I'm
allowed to mention in case there're trademark infringement problems here,
but I'm guessing that the inner play between Bellevueopoly and
Monopoly is probably pretty close. How do I win the
game of Bellevueopoly? And how much money do I get
(23:09):
when I pass go? And how do I get out
of jail?
Speaker 5 (23:14):
All wonderful questions. Yes, so our game is very loosely
based on Monopoly, but ours is a little bit different.
So the goal is really to connect our community members
and the surrounding metro area with businesses that we have
here in Bellevue, So it plays a little bit different
than your traditional Monopoly would. So basically, when you get
(23:37):
your game board, you will visit each of the businesses
on the board, and when you go in, your goal
is to collect a stamp. So you get a stamp
one of two ways. You either share a shout out
on Facebook and tag the business or mention the business,
or you can purchase something or donate something if it's
(23:57):
a nonprofit. If you do one of those things, is
that your visit you will get a stamp. You'll get
one stamp if you do both of those things, share
on Facebook and make a purchase, or share on Facebook
and donate something if it's a nonprofit, then you will
also get a bonus stamp. So as you're playing the
game and you're collecting those stamps, each of the squares
(24:19):
that you're getting a stamp on has a point value,
And at the end of the game, when you turn
in your board, we will tally up all of the
points that you've acquired and we'll put you in the
different price categories for thousands of dollars worth of prices.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Wonderful. So all everything is explained on What's the website
we go to to learn more?
Speaker 5 (24:38):
So our Facebook handle is at Bellevue Chamber of Commerce
n E.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
All right, so on Facebook just look up Bellevue Chamber
of Commerce. What about when you go to the participating
locations and you say, all right, what am I doing?
How do I play? Do they have enough of a
fighting knowledge of this to be able to talk you
through it?
Speaker 5 (24:59):
They definitely do. And we also have all of the
summarized rules on each game board two. So if you're
ever having some questions or wondering on how things work,
that will be right in front of you as you're
playing the game. But then we have all of the
informational types of posts pinned on our Facebook page and
so they're right up at the top when you hit
(25:19):
our like button and follow us.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Excellent. Sarah Diggins with us here for a few more
minutes on community matters. She is the director of Community
Engagement with Belleve, Nebraska. Bellevue Opoly is underway, but there
is a limited time to play this game. It's coming up.
The deadline is at the end of the month, right.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
Correct, Friday, May thirtieth.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Okay, so this is the second year that you guys
have done this right correct?
Speaker 6 (25:44):
Well?
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Yes, what kind of feedback did you get from some
of the businesses and nonprofits in Bellevue as well as
those who played the game from last year? To make
it even better this year, we.
Speaker 5 (25:56):
Got resounding positive feedback. The businesses and non profits that
were on the board last year absolutely loved it. They
were able to meet a lot of new community members,
they met some familiar faces. The patrons who played the
game loved discovering new businesses that we have here in town.
(26:18):
And it was kind of crazy how many times we
kept hearing man I didn't know that we had that
in our own backyard, which as a chamber is the
best compliment that we could get on having those community
members discover, you know, what's here and what's available to them,
and the feedback this year has been very much the same.
So it's just a great, a great opportunity to just
(26:39):
have some fun, hit the streets in the spring, see
what's out there, get some prizes, and show some support
for our wonderful Bellevue community.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
Yeah, and obviously just being a bigger part of the
community is a win in and of itself for those
who want to win, win When playing Bellevue Opoly and think, wait,
it's already started too late, I can't win. I'm too
late in the game. What is the opportunity for those
who haven't even started playing yet.
Speaker 5 (27:07):
It is never too late to get in the game,
so we would encourage you all to get your game board,
even if you're starting in the last week. We have
prizes available for all different levels, So as long as
you get at least three stamps from three different businesses
you and turning your game board, you are eligible to
win a prize. So we have about fifteen different prizes
(27:30):
this year. And you don't have to complete the entire
board in order to turn it in. So just get
out there, support, get as many stamps as you are able,
and we want to put you in our prize drawings
for these awesome, fantastic prizes that have been donated by
our wonderful community.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Wonderful just go on Facebook and search Bellevue Chamber of Commerce.
What about those who aren't on Facebook.
Speaker 5 (27:56):
If you're not on Facebook, my best advice would be
to give this spot a listen, and then you know,
we've got some friends. So this is a kind of
a unique game. We are doing most of it on Facebook,
so for all of the updates and the information, you
really kind of have to be able to get to
Facebook to find it. We've been very fortunate with some
(28:18):
media spots like this one with kfab, so we're very grateful.
But right now, at least for the current time and
the current play period, our updates are shared exclusively on Facebook.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Yeah, and Facebook is free to have a Facebook page
there and it's really easy to navigate as well. So
when you're on Facebook, search Bellevue Chamber of Commerce and
get all the details about Bellevueopoly going on through the
end of the month May thirtieth, Sarah Diggins as director
of Community Engagement, and she's been the person wearing the
(28:50):
top hat and the monocle and the suit here for
Bellevue Opoly. You've been in charge of this now for
two years and it's a lot of fun. Sarah. Thank
you so much for what you're doing to increase community
engagement there in Bellevue, and thanks for telling us about
it on Community Matters.
Speaker 5 (29:04):
You are welcome. Thank you so much for having.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Us on the show again, and thank you so much
for listening to Community Matters this week on this iHeartMedia,
Omaha radio station from news Radio eleven ten KFAB. I'm
Scott Borhes. If you're looking for copies of this or
other editions of our program, you can find it at
kfab dot com. We have it under the podcast link.
(29:26):
Go to kfab dot com and on the dropdown menu
under podcast click on weekend shows and you'll find Community
Matters right there on the dropdown menu under podcasts and
weekend Shows at kfab dot com.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
This has been Community Matters, a weekly public affairs special
on Cat one O three Omaha's Greatest Hits ninety nine
point nine KGO R NewsRadio eleven ten KFAB, Country's Greatest Hits,
ninety three three The Wolf and ninety six one Kiss FM.
Thank you so much for listening and enjoy the rest
of your day.
Speaker 6 (30:00):
Night
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