William F. “Trahy” and beth Hurst

Changing lives by: Establishing a fund for supporting the upkeep, maintenance and operations of the KSU Gardens.

K-State connection: Trahy describes his memories of K-State as some of the best times of his life, and he hopes future generations will feel the same. His parents exposed Trahy and his siblings to K-State when they began high school, buying tickets to K-State athletic events.

Trahy comes from a long family tradition of K-Staters. His great grandfather was a graduate of K-State when it was Kansas State Agricultural College; his grandfather was just eight credit hours away from graduation, and his father, Bill Hurst, used the G.I. bill to attend K-State and graduated in 1950 with a bachelor's degree in horticulture.

Why they gave: “I told the foundation staff I’d like to do something in my parents honor,” Trahy said. “We talked about different avenues of giving. Then, we came up with the idea of funding the KSU Gardens as an ongoing gift. It was a perfect fit. It involved K-State and gardening, two of my parents’ favorite things.”

Why it matters: “I grew up going fishing with both of my grandfathers; my kids grew up going to K-State football games,” said Trahy, a Wichita, Kan., native who attended K-State from 1971 to 1973. “When they talk about growing up, they will remember K-State. I want to help build a place where my grandkids can come and be proud too.”