The Carriage Club was the site for Kansas City Ballet Guild’s  annual Nutcracker Luncheon, which was held on December 15th. John Livingston played holiday classics on the piano. The decorations included a variety of nutcrackers (available for purchase!). Jeffrey Bentley, Kansas City Ballet, spoke about the Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. President Melissa Ford presented […]

Ursula Terrasi and Jim Miller are the honorary chairs for Truman Library Institute’s Wild About Harry, which will be held on April 20th at the Muehlebach Tower of the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. The 24th annual event will celebrate the 75th anniversary of President Harry S. Truman’s “Year of Great Decisions,” 1948, which paved the […]

TRAILBLAZER: Author Olivia Hill Author, Artist, Activist, and Playwright Olivia Hill was born and raised in Kansas City. She is an author, artist, activist, and a playwright. Her memoir, Travel North Black Girl, is a story of self-discovery and empowerment. Set in the early 1980s, Olivia recounts her experiences of moving to the remote indigenous […]

Mr. and Mrs. John Clark Hjalmarson of Leawood, Kansas, are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Kathryn Olivia Hjalmarson, to Jason Stephen Blake, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Arthur Randolph MacKenzie Blake of San Diego, California. The bride-to-be is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Peter Gerson, the late […]

“Sooner or later, everything old is new again.” – Stephen King I often see and hear requests for classics that should either be revisited or books that have stood the test of time. Although everyone has incredibly diverse tastes, there are books that have and have not aged well. Literature is something that should be […]

Kansas City Young Matrons held its annual Mistletoe Party on December 9th. Members and their guests gathered at Blue Hills Country Club and enjoyed a festive evening filled with fellowship and fun.    Featured in the January 21, 2023 issue of The Independent.

Gina Brozenic, Lindsey Golubski, and Sara Willimon were the co-chairs, with Marsha Oyer serving as Cotillion chair, for the Junior League of Wyandotte and Johnson Counties in Kansas’ 72nd Annual Community Ball and Cotillion. The theme was “Old Hollywood.” The December 3rd event was held at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. On the evening’s agenda […]

The Kansas City Ballet Guild hosted its 55th annual gala, Land of the Sweets Nutcracker Ball 2022, at The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center on December 3rd. Barbara and Dr. Greg Storm were the honorary chairmen, and Angela and John Walker served as the chairmen. Barbara Nash was the recipient of the annual Pirouette […]

Mission Hills Country Club was the site for the Symphony League’s  Holiday Luncheon on December 14th. President Katherine Schorgl recognized Johyne Hamra for her 25 years of membership. Ursula Terrasi, Symphony Ball co-chair, presented a check to Pat McCown, Kansas City Symphony board president. The concluding activity was the passing of the gavel to Linda […]

Leading with Love, a benefit for Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy, will be held at Loews Kansas City Hotel on June 15th. Christine Kemper, founder and board chair, will lead this inaugural event, with Debby Ballard, Mara Cohara, Tammy Edwards, Jeanette Prenger, and Laura Welch as co-chairs. Ann and Andrew Tisch will be the special […]

Dr. Kathy and Doug Gaumer and Molly and Reggie Britt were the honorary co-chairs, and Moira Holland and Jill Grace were the co-chairs for Newhouse’s Imagine a Day Gala. More than 1,100 Newhouse supporters gathered for the November 12th event, which was held at Loews Kansas City Hotel. Newhouse, Kansas City’s oldest domestic violence shelter, […]

Mr. and Mrs. Michael John Royle of Parkville, Missouri, are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Adele McConnell Royle, to Blake Clemens McCartney, the son of Mr. and Mrs. David James McCartney of Manchester, Missouri. The bride-to-be is the granddaughter of Mrs. Gerald Warner Gorman of Kansas City, Missouri, and the late Mr. […]

HALO, which provides housing, healing, and education services to thousands of HALO youth, will hold “Defying the Odds”: A HALO Art Auction Benefiting Homeless Youth on February 24th at Hotel Kansas City. The event will feature live and silent auctions, as well as musical performances and special guests. Auction items will include artwork by HALO […]

Two of the most significant events in Carolyn Oechsli Doughty’s life occurred during a very short span of time in 1918. That August, she was widowed after nearly 14 years of marriage. Within weeks, she had accepted the position of executive secretary of the Women’s City Club.  Carolyn was exactly the right person for the […]

Members of the Lyric Opera Circle celebrated the holiday season with a festive event at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Guests enjoyed a delectable menu and entertainment from resident artists of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Carolyn Price, Mary Leonida, and Pamela Bruce were the hosts for the December 7th event.    […]

Anne Potter Russ (Mrs. Norbert Russ) will serve as the chairman of the 2023 Jewel Ball. The event will be held on June 17th at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Anne is the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. George William Potter, Jr. She is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Webster […]

December 10th was the date for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City’s Most Wanted Auction. Partygoers gathered at The Midland Theatre and enjoyed bidding on once-in-a-lifetime auction packages. Proceeds from the event support Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City’s commitment to making a life-changing, generational impact on our community by creating professionally supported, […]

A cocktail party to celebrate more than 200 Nutcracker Ball benefactors and their guests on November 17th. Randy Neal Floral Designs and Inspired Occasions transformed the Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity into a confection-filled fairyland, accompanied by the music of Rich Hill. Benefactors enjoyed visiting with Kansas City Ballet Company dancers. The Kansas […]

There were lots of fun gatherings in November and December to support the upcoming 49th Annual Snow Ball, to be held on January 21st at the Overland Park Convention Center. Friends of Church of the Nativity, St. Ann Catholic Church, and Church of the Ascension enjoyed the special events. Young professionals also supported Catholic Charities […]

December 10th was the date for the Sugar Plum Fairy Children’s Ball, which was held at the Muehlebach Tower of the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Carrie Kruse and Jennifer Pontier were the co-chairmen. Happy children enjoyed face painting, crafting holiday ornaments, and entertainment from the Sugar Plum Fairy and her friends. Guests were transported to […]

Brogan Moore Caffarelli and Johnathan Pierce Cullen were united in matrimony at Visitation Church in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 15th. The bride is the daughter of Laureen and Robert A. Caffarelli of Loch Lloyd, Missouri. Brogan is the granddaughter of the late Rosemary and Thomas Moore and the late Nancy and Robert V. Caffarelli. […]