Junior League Is Developing Leadership For Manhattan
By Stephanie Grynkiewicz
Junior League of the Flint Hills is an organization of women dedicated
to the improvement of the community through
volunteerism and the development of the leadership potential of its
members. We are exclusively charitable and focus our
efforts on projects with direct benefits to children and women in the
Manhattan, Wamego, and Junction City communities.
Junior League of the Flint Hills has been preparing volunteers for over
a decade. The League firmly believes infinite
opportunity lies within each member to discover what they can give
to their organization, communities, families, themselves,
and each other. Their history provides an amazing register of projects,
including S.H.A.R.E., Shining Smile, Book It and Bag
It, Baby Think It Over, Picture Person, Storybook Boxes, and now the
Literacy project that fulfill the League
focus...children.
The Books For Babes project is in its second year of implementation
and will provide newborn babies and their parents with
an age appropriate book and educational materials designed to communicate
the benefits of reading aloud to children from
birth. This project was made possible through League fundraising efforts
such as the Next-to-New & Silent Auction sale held
every fall, the Road to the Bowl fundraiser, and our first annual Literacy
Luncheon. Several area physicians, businesses, and
individuals contributed to the project’s great success.
The Book Bank project, also in its second year, provides pre-school,
school age, and high school students with new and
used books donated by community members during our annual book collection
drive in November. This year Manhattan
residents generously donated some 3,000 books the League is now distributing
to hundreds of children in our communities.
Junior League is excited about its upcoming fund raisers! The 9th annual
Next-to-New Sale & Silent Auction will be held
Friday, September 15, 5pm-8pm & Saturday, September 16, 8am-12pm
at Pottorf Hall, Cico Park, Manhattan. You will
find great bargains on quality items, including furniture, housewares,
clothing, toys, antiques, books, baked goods, new items
& more! Friday evening is "Twice the Price Night", which means
the customer pays twice the bargain price for getting first
pick! The Silent Auction is also a fabulous way to get great new items,
including some fantastic gift baskets! Saturday
morning features hourly specials & price reductions! If you would
like to make any merchandise or cash donations to the
League for this year’s sale, or would like more information about the
sale, you may contact Stephanie Grynkiewicz at
539-2982. All donations are tax deductible.
This is the second year Junior League of the Flinthills is doing their
Road to the Bowl fundraiser. A $5 donation to the League
will enter you 5 times into a drawing at the end of this year’s football
season for a trip for 2 to this year’s bowl game! You
may purchase as many tickets as you wish, and as you can imagine, this
fundraising effort has been a hit among Wildcat fans!
The League will have booths set up at various places on home football
game days, and at various other locations throughout
the season. Tickets may also be purchased through any League member,
or for more information you may contact Michelle
Chapman at 776-9582.