By Ryan Duey
Abilene, Kansas, has been chosen as one of fifty communities across the state to participate in the Kansas Department of Commerce’s national campaign aimed at attracting and retaining talent. This collaborative effort involves the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Community Foundation of Dickinson County, the Dickinson County Economic Development Corporation, and other community partners.
Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “It’s simple: We need more people in Kansas to keep up with the phenomenal economic growth our state is experiencing. The best way to do that is to first approach Kansans who left the state for economic opportunities elsewhere and invite them to build a life in a place they know and have connections to, whether in their hometown or elsewhere in the state. With the Love, Kansas campaign, we aren’t just extending an invitation to those who once called Kansas home to come back – we’re also inviting families from around the country to build their lives in the Sunflower State.”
As part of the campaign, Abilene will partner with the Central Kansas Free Fair and Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo from July 30 to August 2 to promote the Love, Abilene initiative. This will include distributing Love, Kansas hand fans with an invitation to return home and showcasing the Love, Kansas video nightly at the rodeo.
Julie Roller Weeks, Director of the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau, shared, “As part of this project, we must host an event in the first sixty days. Fair week in Abilene is an unofficial homecoming for former residents, so it makes sense to roll out this campaign during the fair. We want to thank them not only for visiting but also to invite them to consider making Abilene their home once again.”
In addition to these efforts, a letter-writing campaign will be launched to invite former residents to return home. Roller Weeks shared her personal experience, stating, “I’m a Dickinson County boomerang – I left for school and jobs but returned home fourteen years ago. The support I’ve received since returning is incredible, and I hope to support other boomerangs by extending the invitation to return.”
Alongside the Kansas Department of Commerce’s LoveKansas.com website, a new local website, LoveAbilene.com, is available to showcase opportunities for housing, careers, education, and the Community Foundation of Dickinson County’s Dorothy Barber Welcome Home Scholarship.
“We hope this campaign will continue to grow and expand county-wide,” Roller Weeks added. “Attracting more people to live and work in Dickinson County is good for everyone.”
