April 28, 2025

HCF Recognizes 2025 Philanthropists and Volunteer of the Year Recipients

On April 10th, the Hillsboro Community Foundation (HCF) announced its Philanthropist of the Year and Volunteer of the Year award recipients during the Central Kansas Community Foundation’s Spring Soiree at Sun Wray Ranch in Newton. These awards honor individuals recognized for their dedication and significant contributions to the community.

Philanthropists of the Year:
The Hillsboro Community Foundation (HCF) has named its five founding members as the 2025 Philanthropists of the Year. The recipients are:

– Brad Bartel
– Mike Kleiber
– Kirby Fadenrecht
– Steve Garrett
– Delores Dalke (posthumously)

This award recognizes their vital role in establishing the foundation. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024, HCF owes its success to the vision and dedication of these individuals who saw the need for a local foundation to shape Hillsboro’s future. As the late Delores Dalke recalled of their beginnings, “We saw that it needed to be done, so some of us just started meeting.”

Volunteer of the Year:
The Hillsboro Community Foundation (HCF) is honored to announce the recipient of the 2025 Volunteer of the Year Award:

– Kelly Groening

Kelly has been a dedicated and impactful member of the Hillsboro Community Foundation board since 2022, serving as treasurer for the majority of that time. In 2024, Kelly showcased HCF’s work by authoring a weekly “Did You Know?” for the Hillsboro Free Press, highlighting 52 distinct ways HCF has enriched Hillsboro over our 20-year history. He actively volunteers his time at HCF events. Most notably, Kelly’s tireless efforts and consistent engagement with donors were instrumental in the resounding success of HCF’s scholarship campaign in September.