WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- W.A. Bill Krause, co-founder of the Kum & Go convenience store chain, has been named a 2007 honoree of the National Catholic Educational Association's (NCEA's) highest honorthe St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award.
The national award is presented annually to individuals whose personal or professional philanthropy or volunteer service has impacted Catholic education and our country's youth. The award is named after St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (17741821), in recognition of her lifelong dedication to teaching. Many regard Seton as the [image-nocss] founder of the U.S. Catholic school network.
The committee, which selected Krause, looks for awardees whose contributions to education and youth have been major and far-reaching. Krause was one of five 2007 honorees who received a $1,000 scholarship presented in their honor to a deserving Catholic school student from their community. Krause accepted the award during the NCEA's 17th annual award dinner and ceremony held earlier this month in Washington.
We are grateful for all of the benefactors who support Catholic education, but Bill is a special angel for the way his personal and financial support have helped specific schools, said Dr. Karen Ristau, NCEA president. We at NCEA value his friendship and were pleased to recognize his efforts at the national level.
Krause, chairman of Krause Gentle Corp., has long served on many philanthropic boards and has given significant support to a number of community organizations. NCEA highlighted his work with Holy Family School, a Des Moines school serving a diverse, low-income population where more than 70% of the students are on free and reduced lunch programs. A majority of the students' families speak English as a second language and more than 60% of the students are first in their families to be educated beyond grade school.
Krause's relationship with Holy Family School began in 1996 when he was asked by the principal to speak to students. He agreed and taught eighth-graders the Junior Achievement curriculum every Friday for several years. Over time, Krause invited his employees to visit the school and work with the class.
Krause has also rallied others to help the school. Enrollment at the school has increased, mostly in part, because of Krause's support of a capital campaign, which created an endowment that is now close to $3 million. The endowment provides significant financial support to the school and parents for tuition assistance. Krause also helps with regular fundraising efforts, including a school-sponsored golf outing and auction.
We don't often see benefactors involved in the classroom, Ristau said. From his experience in working with eighth-graders at Holy Family, Bill saw a need firsthand and did something about itnot just in generalities, but also in specific assistance to Holy Family School and Dowling Catholic High School.
At Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, Krause serves on the Honorary Foundation Board and is a regular supporter of Annual Appeal. He is a supporter of the school's annual golf outing to raise money for financial aid, and he gave significant support in 2001 to create a plan for enhanced teacher compensation. Each year, Krause sponsors the high school's Jennie Lillis Scholarship, which gives $2,500 each to two students who exemplify leadership and dedication. This spring, Krause and his family donated $3 million to the high school's We Believe capital campaign to renovate classrooms. It was the largest single gift in school history.
Jessica Nguyen, an 11th-grade student at Dowling Catholic High School, received the $1,000 Krause Seton Scholarship. Nguyen serves her school community by volunteering as a peer helper, providing academic tutoring to students in need. She also serves as a Vietnamese interpreter as part of the school's Ambassador Program.
Separately, the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, dedicated the new Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Homecoming festivities on October 13. The Hall of Fame is housed in the new two-story connector between the UNI-Dome and McLeod Center, providing easy access from one building to the other. Major gifts from the Kothari and Krause families made the connector possible.
Inside the connector, athletic memorabilia, photos and trophies are featured on both levels of the Dr. Jitu D. Kothari Concourse and the W.A. Krause Family Pavilion. Hall of Fame inductee plaques are located on the south wall of the UNI-Dome, next to the entrance of the Hall of Fame.
A gift from Harshida J. Kothari and her children, Neelay, Neerali and Tejus provided the funds for the Dr. Jitu D. Kothari Concourse. Dr. Kothari served as the Panther football team's orthopedic surgeon from 1981 until his death in 2003.
The W.A. Krause Family Pavilion was provided by William A. and Nancy Krause, who are strong supporters of education in Iowa. They have made major gifts to the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and Junior Achievement of Central Iowa.
An 80-foot-long commissioned mural by Gary Kelley features 13 paintings, ranging in height from six feet to 12 feet. It hangs in the Dr. Jitu D. Kothari Concourse, along with an interactive kiosk featuring Hall of Fame inductees.
In 1959 in Hampton, Iowa, company founders W. A. Krause and T.S. Gentle used the first letters of their last names to create a unique moniker to showcase the ease and convenience they instilled in a shopping experience. Thus Kum & Go was born. Since then, the convenience store chain has grown to more than 445 stores in 13 states (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Colorado, Arkansas, Wyoming and Wisconsin).
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