Investing Beyond Today: How the Community Foundation Is Helping Build a Roadmarkable Dickinson County
- Jackie Hynes
- Jul 29
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 29
Every thriving community has organizations working quietly behind the scenes to make tomorrow stronger than today.
At the Community Foundation of Dickinson County's Annual Meeting, donors, volunteers, nonprofit leaders and community partners gathered to celebrate another year of impact while looking toward the future they are building together.
Throughout the evening, Executive Director Elizabeth Weese returned to one central message: Dickinson County grows stronger when people choose to invest in one another. Through grants supporting childcare, workforce development, business development, hospitality and community initiatives, the Foundation continues investing in projects designed to strengthen quality of life across the county.
One of the evening's most inspiring moments came through the Youth in Action program. Young grant recipients Mason Kuntz and Beau McWilliams shared how Foundation grants helped transform ideas into meaningful community projects. Mason created a robotics program that introduced students to engineering, coding, teamwork and problem-solving. Beau used his grant to help bring a multicolor 3D printer to the Abilene Public Library, expanding opportunities for youth to explore new technology through creative, hands-on learning.
"They are not merely the future of Dickinson County. They are part of its present," Weese said, emphasizing that leadership begins when someone sees an opportunity and chooses to act.
The evening also recognized volunteers whose quiet dedication continues making a lasting impact. Volunteer of the Year Steve Flynn was honored for years of caring for trees throughout Abilene, while Quiet Hero recipients Curtis and Sandy Rein were recognized for their service to youth, healthcare and the community.
The Foundation also shared the scale of its impact in 2025. More than 1,300 donors invested in the Foundation, more than $2 million was granted back into Dickinson County, and 51 students received nearly $300,000 in scholarships. Dickinson County Day also celebrated another record-breaking year of community giving.
Yet the evening's focus extended beyond statistics. Throughout the program, speakers returned to the idea that generosity is measured not only by dollars, but by opportunities created for future generations. Whether planting trees whose shade they may never sit beneath, creating scholarships for students they may never meet or strengthening nonprofit organizations for years to come, each act of generosity helps build a stronger Dickinson County.
As the evening concluded, attendees were encouraged to continue leading with courage, serving with humility and investing with vision. Those themes reflect what makes Dickinson County Roadmarkable: neighbors who believe in one another and choose to leave their community stronger than they found it.
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