Bob and Teresa Poe received recognition during the USD 490 Board of Education meeting earlier this month.
They were recognized as Friends of Education.
Superintendent Sue Givens told the Poes the district appreciated their support to the baseball program, which includes making donations for such things as hitting nets, hitting screens, a pitching machine and fence windscreen. In addition, endowment funds have been used to build two 70-foot outdoor hitting stations, two 65-foot pitching bullpens and have paid for upgrades to the scoreboard.
Givens said these were things that give the El Dorado program the edge.
The district nominated the Poes for the award, which will be presented at the Friends of Education Banquet next month.
In the nomination of the Poes, the importance school sports play on influencing the future of students, fostering development of character, life skills, sportsmanship and teamwork.
The Poes decided to make the contributions to the baseball program because of the importance of baseball in their son, Brock Poe’s, life. This was their way of memorializing their son.
Within a year of Brock’s tragic death in a car accident, they had an endowed fund established with Partners In Education, establishing the Brock Poe Memorial Baseball Fund to award a scholarship to an El Dorado High School graduating senior who has been involved in the EHS baseball program. In addition, money from the fund is used to assist in the development and maintenance of the baseball program.
In addition, the Poes established the Brock Poe Scholarship Fund through the Butler Community College Foundation. This endowed fund grants a scholarship each year to a Butler graduating sophomore majoring in a degree related to athletics going on to a four-year college.
To raise funds for these scholarships, they have hosted a golf tournament every year for the past six years.
Their golf tournament is the largest single day tournament held in El Dorado. Last year they had 42 teams
(160 golfers) participate in the tournament.
For four years, Bob and Teresa also organized a men’s basketball tournament to raise money for the endowed funds, although for the last few years they have concentrated solely on the golf tournament.
In addition to giving money, the Poes also volunteer their time to help improve the EHS baseball facilities.
Bob took a week and a half vacation to work non-stop to rebuild the brick foundations of the two hitting stations at EHS. He paid for the concrete and materials for this project.
He also has built a retaining wall around the batting cages, got the field prepared for games, made dugout improvements and more.
They also were involved with youth activities while their children were growing up, coaching teams and running concession stands.
Bob said volunteering to help with your child’s activities is just part of having children.
When Brock was part of the El Dorado American Legion Baseball Program, first as an athlete and later as a 19-year-old coach, Bob and Teresa organized the transportation for this traveling team and more often than not traveled with the team. They also helped with concessions and worked the gates at the Legion ball games. From the time Brock started elementary school until their daughter graduated from high school, they
have helped coach many of our community’s youth sports programs.
Another cause Bob and Teresa got involved with was the Alumni Court Project, donating generously.
In addition, Bob has volunteered to serve on several city committees. Bob and Teresa are members of St. John’s Catholic Church.
“We feel honored,” Bob said. “It’s what Brock wanted to do.”
El Dorado, Kan. —
