The Aksarben Foundation held its 128th annual Ball on Saturday night, honoring the contributions of Heartland families and awarding scholarships to students in need of assistance.
The ball honored Jeffrey Gold, MD, chancellor of UNMC and executive vice president and provost for the University of Nebraska System, as its Most Honored Citizen. His award was presented by last year’s Most Honored Citizens, Sid and Dawn Dinsdale.
Dr. Gold has been instrumental in growing UNMC in multiple ways, including expanding its physical presence in midtown Omaha, bringing more high-quality jobs to Nebraska and elevating the prestige that UNMC enjoys in the medical community across the nation and around the world.
“I am incredibly humbled and excited to receive this honor,” Dr. Gold said. “I’m humbled as this recognition represents one of the most special honors bestowed in our community, humbled because it is based upon the mission of Aksarben and humbled because of the enduring legacy of those who have stood on this stage since 1895.”
“I’m excited to represent the thousands of faculty, staff and students at UNMC – past, present and future – who get up every morning, roll up their sleeves and work hard to make this community a better place, just as Aksarben does.”
See this story by the Omaha World-Herald about the Aksarben Foundation’s honor.
The Aksarben Foundation also inducted 11 new members into its Court of Honor, which is among the highest honors bestowed by the organization. Those inductees are:
The “24th and Glory” athletes, all of whom grew up in North Omaha during the Civil Rights era. Each of these elite athletes overcame significant obstacles to achieve greatness in their various sports. All are inducted into the Court of Honor for their contributions to Sports and Community Service. They are:
Ron Boone, a star in the National Basketball Association, playing in 1,041 consecutive games and scoring over 17,000 points in both the American Basketball Association and the NBA.
The late Bob Boozer, who is among a very short list of basketball elites who played in the NCAA Final Four, won an Olympic gold medal and won an NBA Championship. He scored over 12,964 points during his NBA career.
The late Marlin Briscoe, an extraordinary football player at Omaha University, who was drafted as a cornerback, but ended up being a trailblazer, becoming the first Black quarterback to start a professional football game in 1968.
The late Bob Gibson, who played 17 years with the St. Louis Cardinals, earning two Cy Young awards and two World Series MVPs. He set a modern benchmark for pitching in the 1968 World Series, posting a dominant 1.12 ERA. Gibson also was a basketball star at Creighton in the 1950s. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.
Johnny Rodgers, who led Nebraska to two national championships in football in 1970 and 1971, then winning the Heisman Trophy in 1972. Rodgers was a three-time all-star in the Canadian Football League and was recently named to ESPN’s all-time college football team as the greatest return specialist ever. Rodgers lives in Omaha, where he is a community leader.
The late Gale Sayers, who started as a star in both football and track at Omaha Central High School. Sayers was an All-American football player twice at Kansas. Sayers then joined the NFL’s Chicago Bears, where as a rookie, he set the NFL record for touchdowns (20) in 1965. He twice led the NFL in rushing before a knee injury in 1968 shortened his stellar career. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.
Gale’s brother, Roger Sayers, was a two-sport standout at Omaha University prior to outrunning “Bullet” Bob Hayes in the 100 yard dash at the NAIA National Meet. Sayers then was a member of the USA track team, running stride for stride with the world’s fastest men. Sayers went on to a successful, three-decade career with the Union Pacific Railroad.
Also inducted into the Aksarben Court of Honor:
Marc LeBaron, chairman and CEO of Lincoln Industries. Lincoln Industries employs over 1,000 people in Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin. It is a world leader in the metal finishing and plating industry. Marc and his wife, Kathy, are leaders in the Lincoln community, including the arts, business and civic leadership communities. LeBaron is honored for his contributions to business and industry.
Ruth Meints, the artistic director of the Omaha Conservatory of Music. Meints was executive director of the organization until earlier this year, when she assumed the artistic director role. Ruth has built a powerhouse organization, growing from 165 students when she joined in 2005, to over 2,000 today. Her signature program, String Sprouts, was launched in 2013 and serves thousands of students starting at age 3 or 4. There is no cost for the program, so it serves all families, including those who otherwise might not be able to afford to attend. Meints is honored for her contributions to the arts.
Robert Hoogeveen, the founder of Quality Living Inc., which serves the needs of individuals with traumatic brain injury and severe physical disability. Founded in 1986, QLI now is the nation’s largest and most prestigious specialized center of its kind. QLI has served thousands of patients and families since its inception. Hoogeveen now enjoys retirement with his wife of 67 years. Hoogeveen is honored for his contributions to the professions.
Henry “Hod” Kosman, chairman and CEO of Platte Valley Companies in Scottsbluff. Kosman’s company now has 22 locations in Nebraska, Wyoming and Colorado. His long career in banking is in addition to his extensive community involvement, including conservation efforts with Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Wild Turkey Federation and the Nature Conservancy. Kosman has been president of Platte River Basin Environments Inc. (PRBE) for 33 years. PRBE owns and operates 30,000 acres of public access lands in western Nebraska. Kosman and his wife of 44 years, Willa, were honored with the Nebraskalander award in 2013. Kosman is honored for his contributions to business and industry.
In addition to honoring such stellar community service, the Aksarben Ball awards over 300 scholarships annually, assisting students at four-year and two-year institutions. One hundred of these scholarships are dedicated to Metro Community College. The aggregate value of these scholarships is over $1 million.