Colby Eagles Alumni Association
Jeff Ostmeyer, Class of 1977
Copyright Colby Eagles Alumni Association @ 2014
Nominated by Maureen Reilley Downing and Judy Trowbridge Kleinsorge
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Jeff is being nominated for his volunteer efforts for kids battling cancer and honoring our active duty military members. Jeff Ostmeyer graduated in the Class of 1977. Jeff attended CCJC and continued his education at the University of Missouri where he earned a BS and MS in Forest Products. He then earned his PhD in Wood Products from Auburn University in 1987. Jeff had a 28-year career in a number of disciplines integrated with oil and gas companies, retiring in 2016. Before his retirement, Jeff had gotten involved with Sky High for Kids, a non-profit organization supporting St. Jude's Research Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, and the Ronald McDonald House of Memphis, a mission of St. Jude's. The mission of St. Jude's Research Hospital is to advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. At St. Jude's, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion, or a family's ability to pay. Sky High for Kids supports this mission by bringing communities together through fundraising events to provide comfort and fund the research for those fighting pediatric cancer and other life-threatening conditions. Jeff has always been an outdoorsman. He is, and always has been, very fond of children. When he attended a clay shoot hosted by Sky High for Kids, his two passions merged in one event and he was hooked. Jeff attended more Sky High events, meeting the kids with cancer and, as his eyes and heart opened, he realized that the effort was truly all about the kids! With this epiphany, Jeff knew he had to do something and began to look for ways to get involved in helping the kids. His participation in Sky High events continued, but he reached out on his own by hosting pool parties for the kids and their families and clowning at the hospital. But Jeff felt that it wasn't enough. He could see that the challenges these kids and their families face is heartbreaking and that the toll of the treatments didn't allow the kids to be kids. Growing up in northwest Kansas, Jeff did a lot of hunting and recalled how that provided the experiences he wanted for the kids. He wanted to give them a break, an opportunity to build confidence, bond with others outside of the hospital, and spend time in the great outdoors. So, now living on a farm in Smith County, Kansas, Jeff hosted his first Sky High Adventure"Kid Hunt" in 2013. With the co-sponsorship of Sky High and the Route 36 Chapter of Quails Forever and the help of a core group of four to five individuals, the Kid Hunts continue. Over the past six years, Jeff has hosted 21 pediatric cancer patients at his farm and four kids on hunts in Texas. The kids and their families have attended from ten states. Needless to say, the transformation these kids experience as a result of their adventure is phenomenal. Jeff and every one of the kids and their families form a special bond, and he continues to stay in contact with them long after the hunt is over. Two of those children have since earned their wings, and several others continue their brave struggles to beat their cancer. Not surprisingly, Jeff didn't stop there. He wanted to show his appreciation for those who serve our country and began holding a Soldier Appreciation Hunt. Jeff and several helpers host a group of six active duty soldiers from Fort Riley, Kansas, at the farm on the first weekend in January each year. These hunts are a tribute to his dad, who Jeff says,"would have been all over this!". Jeff was honored to be recognized for the High Flying Eagle Award, but hopes that the recognition is an opportunity to raise awareness for St. Jude's and the kids with cancer- especially the kids - and that the hunts for soldiers expand statewide so that more can benefit from the experience. He will tell you that volunteering is not so much about the money you give - it's about the time you give. He asks that each and every one of us be open to an opportunity to fill a need and "if you have a vision, I can help!". Jeff is the son of Eugene and Mary Ostmeyer, and is one of seven children. He is the very proud father of two sons and a daughter and a doting grandfather to his granddaughter.
