Susan Thomas did the only thing she thought a grieving widow should do.

Susan Thomas did the only thing she thought a grieving widow should do.

Gale Sayers ran through the defensive line and into the open field, and then worked hard to use that to his advantage.

Dominique Maestas helped her single mom raise her younger sister and, in the process, was expected to grow up quickly.

Those three were the focal points at Wednesday's early morning breakfast to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming, an event that raised $303,000 without matching dollars.

Just hours after the primary election concluded, state and local leaders joined 1,100 others for scrambled eggs, sweet rolls and inspirational messages.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal and U.S. Sen. John Barrasso and his wife, Bobbi, were at the head table.

Thomas was the honoree at the 10th annual award and recognition event for her work in establishing the Craig and Susan Thomas Foundation.

A special education teacher for 30 years, Thomas has focused the passion she and her late husband, U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas, shared for inspiring Wyoming's young people into scholarship and mentoring opportunities for students she characterizes as needing "a leg up."

A Wyoming native and Barnum ranch daughter, Thomas said, "We're offering that leg up after they fall off the horse."

Focusing especially on at-risk children, the foundation offers scholarships to students who do not meet the state-funded Hathaway requirements; assistance to groups and organizations whose mission is the same; and sponsors scholarships to those who have "gone above and beyond the call of duty."

Previous recognition winners Mick McMurry, Susie McMurry and George Bryce announced the McMurry Foundation will match the donation total up to $500,000 to the foundation endowment, a cause Mick McMurry said was "urgent, so we have funding for the future."

Later Wednesday, after attending the breakfast, officials of the regional philanthropy Daniels Fund pledged $250,000 over the next two years for club operations.

NFL Hall of Famer Gale Sayers, whose impact on the field lasted just 68 games for the Chicago Bears but whose talent and determination led to his NFL Hall of Fame induction as the youngest man ever, received a standing ovation before he began his powerful 25-minute speech.

"I've been out of football 38 years," he said. "I thought all my fans were dead."

Referencing the open field theme throughout his talk, Sayers said, "The open field is there for everyone, no matter where you went to school, where you live, how you pronounce your last name or the color of your skin."

He said being the best takes courage as well as talent, and many in the audience - certainly former athletes - groaned as he detailed his regimen of lifting weights five times a day to rehab his first injured knee.

He said for a person to succeed - to find his or her open field - you have to set a personal standard of excellence and have to do it daily, not just when it's convenient or the mood strikes.

Sayers is now a business owner and philanthropist. "My success," he said, "is ultimately how well I use my gifts to make a difference in someone else's life."

Maestas, a senior at Kelly Walsh High School, was named this year's Youth of the Year for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming. She and the other finalists, Johnny Grace of Natrona and Samantha Genoff of Glenrock, presented their speeches at the breakfast before Dr. Mike Wilkinson announced the winner.

Without club programs like Keystone, Maestas said, "Growing up so quickly would have been very hard for me." She learned how to voice her opinion and be a leader for her peers, as well as taking on extra responsibility at home.

She'll represent the central Wyoming club at the statewide contest in early 2009 with additional scholarships available to the winner.

Community News editor Sally Ann Shurmur can be reached at (307) 266-0520 or sallyann.shurmur@trib.com.