Benefactors of the Year, 2006
Gateway Community and Technical College

Gary Weingartner, Friends and Family, Independence
Honored by Gateway Community and Technical College

From left, GCTC President Ed Hughes; Gary Weingartner, Independence; and KCTCS President Michael B. McCall.

Gary Weingartner has turned personal tragedy into a mission to help future nursing students at Gateway Community and Technical College. When Mr. Weingartner’s only son, Scott, a Gateway nursing student, lost his life in a car accident last fall, Gary was determined to help other compassionate students realize their dream. Mr. Weingartner mobilized friends and family. A year-end appeal was followed by a fund raiser that netted over $10,000 in one evening.  Just four months later, Mr. Weingartner organized the first annual Scott Weingartner Memorial Golf Classic, raising another $5,000.  Through his tireless efforts, Gateway will establish its first $25,000 scholarship endowment that will provide support for nursing students for years to come.