Emporia’s Kansas Spanish Speakers is continuing to make history and widen its reach at the state level.
It was announced earlier this week that Spanish Speakers had been made the recipient of a Kansas Sampler Foundation We Kan! award. While the award has been given out to individuals and groups making a difference in rural Kansas for over 30 years, this recent recognition was the very first ever given in Spanish.
Kansas Spanish Speakers founder and Director Lelan Dains, who is no stranger to accolades in his own right, says this award “Meant a lot to us.” Dains added the award was extra special as it comes from an organization he holds a great deal of admiration for.
In terms of the impact the award will have for the local non-profit, Dains says the title We Kan! is perfect, as that is the same mentality Spanish Speakers embody in their core mission.
While he says the recognition is always great, the true benefit of the award is the publicity it brings to Spanish Speakers, something Dains believes they can utilize to open more doors in communities across the state.
Founded in 1993 by father and daughter Mil and Marci Penner, the Kansas Sampler Foundation is a 501 c3 that seeks to preserve and sustain the culture and history of rural Kansas through various programs and resources. More information can be found at Kansassampler.org.
