Keogh 501 Memorial Receives $5,000 Grant From Offutt Family Foundation

KEOGH 501 MEMORIAL GRANT - from (l-r): Grant Hitchcock, Paul Pistulka, Natasha Gentele, Memorial President- Jacqueline Keogh, Jeremy Troidl, Memorial VP and Jacque Anson.

Another local student will get the chance to attend EMT training and earn national registration, thanks to a Community Builder grant from the Offutt Family Foundation, supported by R.D. Offutt Farms (RDO). 

  The Keogh 501 Memorial was set up following Ryan Keogh's tragic death to help youth in the Atkinson and surrounding areas pay to attend an Emergency Medical Technician course and pass the National EMT Registry to become licensed. The Memorial also helps fund the Atkinson Fire Department's Junior Cadet program to help youth gain knowledge in the fire industry and be able to join the department in their community.

Natasha Gentele, seven-year team member at RDO's Whole Seed Farm in Atkinson, nominated the Keogh 501 Memorial for the grant. All RDO team members were invited to apply for Community Builder grants in the program's ninth year to support causes they are passionate about and that make a difference in the communities where they work and live.

  Gentele said she knew that Ryan had a dream of starting a junior fireman/EMT cadet program in hopes that students would remain or return to rural Nebraska and become active firefighters and EMTs.

  “I knew Ryan for many years; he was one of the guys to get me to join the Atkinson Fire and Rescue Department and I believe in his goal of this cadet program,” Gentele said. “Ryan served as my fire chief and helped me see the benefits of getting youth involved. I see the number of volunteers in the area decreasing and I know this program will be a great success in turning those numbers around.”

  The Keogh 501 Memorial was set up following Ryan's death by his family, and the organization is governed by a Board of Directors. The program is growing, with five students currently in the EMS program and four in the cadet program.

  In 2024, R.D. Offutt Company, the parent company of R.D. Offutt Farms, and the Offutt Family Foundation, announced 54 grants as part of the Community Builder program. Since 2015, the program has donated more than $1.7 million to local nonprofits and community organizations nationwide.

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