HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The Youth Philanthropy Council of Hutchinson Community Foundation awarded $5,000 in grants to eight projects at a ceremony Sunday at the Hutchinson Art Center.
Led by students from across Reno County, the Youth Philanthropy Council is a grantmaking program designed to involve area students in philanthropy: the practice of giving money, time and talents to help make life better for other people. The group began meeting in November to discuss local issues of concern to youth and the community, learn about grantmaking, and present grants to youth-serving organizations.
The grants were awarded from the Richard W. Dillon Memorial Fund for Youth Philanthropy, established by the Dillon family to honor Dick Dillon for his extensive philanthropic work in the community.
The 14 members of the 2025-2026 council are Ryan Cherry and Benjamin Gazaway, Buhler High School; Gavin Foster and Lucy Steen, Fairfield High School; Madison Richey and Kalya Rose, Haven High School; Annalee Eckhoff, Leah Foos, Margaret Kaplan, Kinsley Koestel, and Blake Patterson, Hutchinson High School; Will Barkley and Isaiah Hathaway, Nickerson High School; Sam Vogel Trinity Catholic High School.
The following awards were given:
Boys & Girls Clubs of Hutchinson, $399: The grant will bring a new, more beginner-friendly 3D printer to the innovation lab at Avenue A after-school and summer programs for K-5 students.
Fairfield Schools-USD 310, $345: The grant will allow the school district to create a more engaging experience for elementary school students during the summer and provide them with services/opportunities to help minimize the learning gap from May to August.
Family Community Theatre, $505: Funding will be for the launch of the FCT Youth Social Media Team, an innovative, youth-led initiative designed to bridge the gap between theater arts and modern digital communication. This program will serve approximately 30 youth annually by rotating teams of five students across the theater’s six seasonal productions.
Love Hutch Daily, $1,000: The funding will go toward building a greenhouse for the after-school program to be used year-round but especially to expand gardening abilities in the winter months.
Love Hutch Daily, $500: The funding will go toward purchasing woodworking supplies to enhance the after-school program’s woodworking classes.
Sky Ryders Performing Arts Foundation, $750: This grant will help purchase drumsticks and mallets for the approximately 30 percussionists participating in the organization’s summer drum and bugle corps program.
The Mary Magdalene House, $700: This grant will provide funding to teach middle-school-age children in foster care basic cooking skills.
Wisdom in Motion, $801: Funding will help support the organization’s hands-on international cooking class that’s designed to help young people explore global cultures through food, storytelling and shared experiences. Each month, youth focus on one country and prepare a full menu consisting of an appetizer, entrée and dessert. In addition to cooking, youth learn about the country’s cultural traditions, geography and food history through guided discussion and reflection.
Hutchinson Community Foundation’s mission is to inspire philanthropy, leadership and collaboration to strengthen Reno County. Since 1989, the foundation has granted more than $115 million.
