Bev Vaughn Honored with Nex-Tech Wireless District West Hero Award at Pioneer Memorial Library
February 4, 2026
A routine Wednesday gathering at the Pioneer Memorial Library turned into a moment of heartfelt recognition on February 4, as longtime community volunteer Bev Vaughn was presented with the District West Hero Award from Nex-Tech Wireless.
The award, presented by Debra Bear of Nex-Tech Wireless with Michelle Fabrizius accompanying, includes a $500 donation to an organization of the recipient’s choice. Each year, three Holiday Hero Awards are given companywide—one per district—based on nominations submitted by community members recognizing individuals who consistently give back.
For Vaughn, the honor was unexpected.
“I just thought it was pretty cool,” she said during an interview following the presentation. “It’s a business that has the means to give back, and they said it would go to a local charity of my choice. I wanted it to go somewhere that benefits a lot of people.”
Vaughn chose The Friends of Pioneer Memorial Library as the recipient of the $500 donation. The funds will be used to update the sound system for the library’s annual murder mystery fundraiser—equipment that is currently more than 20 years old.
“I think everybody should be able to hear while they’re there,” Vaughn explained. “The murder mystery draws a lot of older attendees, and it’s just a great event for Colby. I wanted the equipment updated so everyone can hear and enjoy it.”
The murder mystery, scheduled for April 11, features local residents portraying characters in a live-action whodunit complete with dinner and audience participation. Vaughn herself has participated in the past and now helps organize the event as a member of the Friends board, which focuses on fundraising for the library.
Her involvement at the library is just one chapter in nearly two decades of service across Colby.
Vaughn has coordinated Red Cross blood drives since 2008, a role she took on after learning how critical blood donations were during her uncle’s battle with cancer. What began as a small volunteer effort has grown into a steady commitment, organizing meals, recruiting helpers, and ensuring donors are welcomed and cared for.
“Somebody needs to do it,” she said simply.
Beyond blood drives, Vaughn volunteers weekly at Genesis, cooks youth meals every Wednesday at her church, serves as a volunteer greeter, helps at the Senior Progress Center, supports Royal Neighbors, sits on fundraising boards for both the museum and the library, assists with Open Arms Resources by providing diapers and wipes, and even provides rides to community members when public transportation is unavailable—particularly on holidays and weekends.
Her path to Colby began far from Thomas County. Born in Montana and raised in the Dakotas, Vaughn eventually followed her husband, a Kansas native, back to northwest Kansas. The couple settled in the region in 2000. After navigating health challenges and later the loss of her husband in 2021, Vaughn leaned even more deeply into volunteerism.
“Everybody that knows me knows that I love to help others,” she said. “When I volunteer, I feel happy. It’s good to be around people.”
That philosophy has quietly shaped much of Colby’s nonprofit and civic landscape. Friends joke that spending time with Vaughn often leads to being recruited for a cause. She laughs at the reputation but embraces it. “If everybody volunteered in just one thing,” she said, “everything would be taken care of.”
The Hero Award may carry a $500 check, but for Vaughn, the true reward lies in strengthening the institutions that serve all generations—from children at story time to seniors solving a fictional murder over dinner.
And thanks to her decision, when the curtain rises at this year’s murder mystery fundraiser, every guest in the room will be able to hear every clue.