Treasured volunteer Roberta Abramson has served on the board of directors of Hope House for nearly five years. Much of Roberta’s time has been spent working on events and fundraising and bringing awareness to the issue of domestic violence. Roberta currently works for Hallmark Cards and has connected many people within the creative community to […]

April 10th was the date for The Women’s Employment Network’s annual luncheon at the Sheraton Kansas City at Crown Center. Tara and Jon Darbyshire and Dawn and David Baker were the honorary co-chairmen, and Heather Anderson Feagans and Anita Bajaj Newton served as the co-chairmen. UMB was awarded the 2013 Beth K. Smith Award. Proceeds […]

April 11th was the date for the Truman Library Institute’s 14th annual Wild About Harry at the Muehlebach Tower of the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy, TIME magazine editors and best-selling authors of The Presidents Club: Inside the World’s Most Exclusive Fraternity, were the guest speakers. Former Chairman of the Joint […]

April 19th was the date for the Gillis Center’s 32nd Annual Spirit Awards at the Sheraton Kansas City at Crown Center. Steve Doyal and Ty Henson were each presented with the 2013 Spirit Awards and Jill Perfect was honored as the 2013 Gillis Volunteer of the Year. Guests enjoyed a delicious dinner, cocktails and entertainment […]

Unicorn’s production of Potok adaptation is golden My Name is Asher Lev became a classic work of American fiction virtually from the day it came out in 1972, and Aaron Posner’s theatrical adaptation of it is every bit as potent. I can remember reading Chaim Potok’s novel as a Baptist kid in Kansas and feeling […]

To be a serious ballet company these days you can’t just do an endless series of Swan Lakes: You’ve got to push things forward. The Kansas City Ballet in its current form has rarely flinched from risky artistic choices, works that might have left us scratching our heads at times. At the season finale that […]

You’d be hard-pressed to find an American artist in any field as interesting and engaging as Karole Armitage. The Wisconsin native, who grew up partly in Lawrence, learned classical ballet initially and absorbed the work of George Balanchine at the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève before becoming a dancer with the legendary Merce Cunningham. […]

Walk For Change 2013 will be held on June 22nd at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport. Allison and Mike Haggerty and Nicole and Steve Pierce are the co-chairmen. Proceeds from the event will benefit Catholic Charities of Kansas City – St. Joseph. Also featured in the May 4th issue of The Independent Photo Credit: […]

April 11th was the date Waddell & Reed hosted a star-studded screening of the film 42 at AMC BarryWoods 24. The evening benefited the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the Kansas City Sports Commission. AMC Theatres graciously donated the space, theatre team, concessions, and spirits for the event, making it an evening to remember! Stars […]

April 4th was the date for CASA of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties’ Promise of Hope Luncheon at the Ritz Charles. Michelle Privette shared her story of how her Court Appointed Special Advocate, Columbus Heard; helped her to change her life. Lenore Hammer received the 2013 Promise of Hope Award. Proceeds from the event support CASA […]

Mark your calendars for June 22nd for Stems: A Garden Soiree at the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Jill and Mayor Carl Gerlach will serve as the honorary chairmen. Stroll through the beautiful gardens, savor food and wine, music, en plein air art, and fireworks. The event is presented by the Arts & Recreation […]

The team captains for Camp WIN are high school aged girls who act as camp counselors. They are mentors and motivators for the campers and help the coaches and instructors. “I look forward to being a team captain every summer because of the wonderful opportunity it brings for me to meet new people and make […]

Project 39’s The Mother of All Happy Hours will be held on May 9th. More than 40 women will host the happy hour to benefit single mothers who participate in The Family Conservancy’s Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids program. Lisa Foley hosted a meeting on April 4th to finalize plans for the event. Also featured in […]

Kris Rauh is the vice president of development for the Mid America Chapter, National MS Society. Her primary responsibilities include overseeing the fundraising, budgets, sponsorships, and logistics for 31 Walk MS events, four Bike MS events and two Dinner of Champions. Kris is a member of the 2014 class of Centurions and is currently serving […]

A pink bundle of joy named Finley Rose McInnes arrived on December 29th. The little beauty weighed seven pounds, 15 ounces and was 19 and a half inches long. Finley has blue eyes and brown hair. Her proud parents are Priscilla and William McInnes of Prairie Village. Finley’s grandparents are Rosemarie and Pete Petrini of […]

The first annual Spring Song concert was held on March 30th in Rozzelle Court at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Charles Bruffy and The Kansas City Chorale performed a program which featured selection’s from the Chorale’s Grammy-winning album, Life and Breath. The concert was repeated on April 6th at the Cathedral Basilica in St. Louis. […]

The 12th Annual Treads & Threads will roar into the Kansas Speedway on September 6th to benefit The University of Kansas Hospital. This party with a purpose will feature country music duo Big & Rich and delicious fare from more than 20 top local restaurants, caterers and dessert specialists. The Sunderland Family are the honorary […]

Enjoy a rare garden and home tour, hosted by the Westport Garden Club, on May 18th. Entertaining Gardens is a benefit Powell Gardens’ “Good to Grow” program. The event will feature six stunning gardens, with three of them including tours of the homes; a gift shop and a garden raffle. Don Hall and the late […]

Mr. and Mrs. Sandford Koufax of Vero Beach, Florida, and Mr. John Clem Clarke of New York, New York, are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Trillion Clarke, to Gregory Wright Layne II, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Spriggs of Mesa, Arizona, and Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Layne I of Mesa, […]