Since 2001, Sunflower Bank’s ABC Program for Education has been one of the most consistent ways we invest in the communities we serve. What began in Kansas has grown into a multi-state program that rewards students for academic achievement, donates to local schools, and builds relationships that go far beyond the branch.
As we mark 25 years of the ABC Program, we’re looking back at 25 moments, milestones, and stories that show what this program has made possible in classrooms, communities, and the lives of the students we’re proud to support.
Where It Started
Every lasting program has an origin story. For the ABC Program, it begins in Salina, KS, where a small team made a big bet on what community banking could look like and spent years proving it worked.
- Salina, KS — The Birthplace of the ABC Program
For 25 years, the ABC Program has been a main component of how Sunflower Bank invests in the communities we serve. Starting in Salina, KS in 2001, we built a community partnership that became the foundation for everything that followed.
- A Partnership Built on Consistency
In Salina, principals now anticipate the ABC Program donations each year and take the time to send thank-you notes when they arrive. Twenty-five years of support has helped make this program a permanent part of the Salina community.
3. Earning Trust, Then Paying It Forward
When the ABC Program first came to Salina, the local superintendent’s biggest concern was whether lower-income schools would truly benefit. By year two, those schools had earned the most, driven by the dedication of their PTOs and PTAs. Salina went on to become a referral point that helped bring the program to communities across Kansas.
“We had to prove ourselves first…Now, we’re known for the ABC Program in Salina.”
Growing Across Our Footprint
From its roots in Kansas, the ABC Program has grown into communities across multiple states. Each market has found its own way to put the program to work, and each tells a different story about what community investment can look like.
4. Cañon City, CO — A Program That’s One of a Kind
Over the years, ABC Program donations have gone a long way in Cañon City, CO. Schools have used them to fund many initiatives including a school-wide science fair, matching T-shirts for entire student bodies, and end-of-year celebrations. Each school decides what matters most and the ABC Program helps make it possible.
5. Hays, KS — Preparing Every Classroom
In Hays, KS, ABC Program donations helped fund emergency go-bags for every classroom in the district, giving teachers and students the resources they need to be prepared in any situation.
6. Dodge City, KS — A Record-Setting Year
At its peak in 2015, the ABC Program generated over $20,000 in donations to Dodge City schools, showing what consistent community engagement can grow into.
7. Pueblo, CO — Celebrating Achievement
Our teams love to find unique ways to recognize and encourage academic achievement. Students who have participated in the ABC Program in Pueblo, CO have been treated to special events at the branch, like ice cream socials, for them and their families.
8. Tomball, TX — Investing in Educators
On top of regular ABC Program donations and drawings, Sunflower Bank is a proud sponsor of Teacher Appreciation Day in Tomball, TX, a local Chamber of Commerce event that brings together more than 300 educators each year to celebrate the work they do for our students.
Programs and Partnerships Born from the ABC Program
One of the clearest signs of a program’s success is what it makes possible beyond itself. Over 25 years, the ABC Program has opened doors to financial education initiatives, community events, and partnerships that continue to grow alongside it.
9. Reality U — Financial Education in Action (Great Bend & Ellinwood, KS)
In Great Bend and Ellinwood, the ABC Program helped open doors to a partnership with Reality U, a hands-on financial education program that gives students a real-world look at budgeting and financial decision-making.
10. The Battle for the Bell (Dodge City & Liberal, KS)
The “Battle for the Bell” is one of the most anticipated events for schools in Dodge City and Liberal. Sunflower Bank has been a proud sponsor since 2023, a partnership made possible through years of ABC Program engagement.
The People Behind the Program
Programs don’t sustain themselves over 25 years without people who believe in them. Across our footprint, our teams have spent decades showing up for the schools, students, and communities they serve.
11. Decades of Dedication (Dodge City, KS)
Maria Ferrero has been with Sunflower Bank for over 30 years and has been involved with the ABC Program since its earliest days in Dodge City. When she walks into a school today, they know exactly who she is. Relationships like that are built over a lifetime of showing up.
12. Bubba the Bear (Dodge City, KS)
Regional Manager Jessica Albert, who previously led the program in Dodge City, remembers dressing up in our “Bubba the Bear” mascot suit during school visits to teach financial literacy, even if the feet were too big for cartwheels.
“It was special to share financial literacy lessons and show students the importance of education. It’s something I didn’t have as a kid, and being able to provide that for them is amazing.”
School Donations Across Our Footprint
Each year, schools across our footprint receive donations generated by their ABC Program activity, and those donations go toward something that matters to that community. Below are a few of the schools and district donations we’ve been proud to capture over the years.
13. Osborne, KS - 2006
14. Colby, KS - 2008
15. Junction City, KS - 2011
16. Longmont, CO - 2015
17. Hays, KS - 2017
18. Austin, TX - 2024
Pay for A’s — Rewarding 25 Years of Achievement
At the heart of the ABC Program is a simple belief: academic effort deserves recognition. For 25 years, we’ve been proud to reward students across our footprint for their hard work in the classroom. Congratulations to all students who have been recognized, and we look forward to thousands more!
19. Liberal, KS - 2005
20. Manhattan, KS - 2007
21. Salina, KS - 2008
22. Great Bend, KS - 2011
23. Wichita, KS - 2015
24. Longmont, CO - 2015
25. Shenandoah, TX - 2025