Leroy and Wanda Baumberger of Sunflower Restaurant Supply

Changing Lives by: supporting technology education through a corporate scholarship at the College of Technology and Aviation at K-State at Salina.

A local business: Sunflower Restaurant Supply has evolved from C. Dale Lyon’s Salina Coffee House, founded in 1947, to a full-service restaurant supply company covering a geographical area including Kansas, parts of Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa.

K-State connection: Sunflower Restaurant Supply has a long business history in Salina and of supporting higher education. Kyle Lyon, son of the original owner, serves as chairman of the board for Sunflower Restaurant Supply. The other three Lyon children live in the Dallas area: Alan Lyon, Carol Lyon Rogers and Barbara Huska. Barbara and her husband, Mike, are both 1975 K-State graduates. Barbara earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and Mike earned a bachelor’s degree in speech.

Why they gave: “Although we used to manage our own scholarship program, it required a tremendous effort on our part, so that was discontinued,” said Wanda Baumberger, Sunflower’s office manager, whose husband, Leroy, serves as president of the company. “Mrs. Lyon started a scholarship program for students at K-State at Salina. The stockholders decided at our meeting this year that we should make this a long-term commitment.”

What people are saying: “I’m very pleased the board of directors from Sunflower Restaurant Supply has chosen to support K-State at Salina,” said Dennis Kuhlman, dean of K-State at Salina. “It especially means a lot when a locally owned business invests in our students. This gift will make a difference to so many people, helping us continue to attract the best and brightest students to K-State.”