Davin Gordon is a member of the Centurions Spring Class of 2021. He has served on the Urban Neighborhoods Task Force and is a member of the recruiting committee. Davin has made a commitment to helping Kansas City’s underserved neighborhoods. As the business development officer for AltCap, he is promoting the catalyst for investment in […]

Since being named to The Independent’s Rising Stars, Class of 2017, Shelly Doucet has been extremely busy with her work at the UMKC School of Education, where she is raising scholarship funds for future educators. She completed her service as president of the local Association of Fundraising Professionals and remains on the board as past […]

The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center was the site for Notre Dame de Sion Schools’ Gala Auction: A Toast to Sion. John Houlehan was the honorary chairman of the March 7th event. Katherine Bontrager Houlehan and Joe Houlehan, Megan Houlehan Timmons and Nick Timmons, Mary Ann and Matt Knopke, and Jen Ferguson Clarkson and […]

February 22nd was the magical day for the arrival of Conness Elizabeth Snively. This adorable baby girl is the daughter of Amy Blair Snively and Matthew Snively of Our Town. CeCe, as she is known, weighed six pounds, seven ounces, and was 19 and 1/2 inches long. She has blue eyes and brown hair. Her […]

February 29th was the date for The Children’s SPOT at Saint Luke’s Hospital’s School Night Out For SPOT. The festive event, which celebrated the organization’s 40th anniversary, was held at the Plexpod Westport Commons. Partygoers enjoyed the tunes of DJ Kirby and dined on creative cafeteria-inspired fare and drinks. Ed Matheny Jr., Bob West, and […]

By the time I left for college, I owned enough monogrammed items to be considered a walking Vera Bradley ad. I had my monogram on my bath towels, my makeup bag, and even a large Pi Beta Phi name sticker on my Jeep. Today, I can proudly say that although I no longer spotlight my […]

Janet and Darren Lovick will serve as chairmen of the Catholic Education Foundation’s Gaudeamus. The October 24th gala will be held at the Overland Park Convention Center. Proceeds help children in need, ages kindergarten through 12th grade, with scholarships to attend Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Also featured in the […]

Clare Tracy Wallendjack and Robert Pitt Powell were married on February 8th at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Boca Grande, Florida. The bride is the daughter of Teresa and Mark Wallendjack of Montclair, Virginia. Clare is the granddaughter of Lois O’Connor of Hackettstown, New Jersey, and the late Walter Wallendjack, and the late Louise and […]

Jessica Blubaugh is a member of the Centurions Spring Class of 2021. She serves on the steering committee and will step into the role of steering committee chairman in her second year of the program. Jessica is the director of WIN for KC (Women’s Intersport Network). As a division of the Kansas City Sports Commission […]

Ruth J. Brackney may be a partner/attorney with Lathrop GPM, but she spends a lot of her volunteer time supporting causes that involve animals. She is a volunteer with Wayside Waifs, which is committed to finding homes for all adoptable pets and is the largest pet adoption campus in Kansas City. Wayside Waifs does not […]

February 28th was the date for The HALO Foundation’s 15th annual HALO Kansas City ArtReach Auction. Annie and Ryan Anderson and Katrina and John Scott served as the honorary co-chairmen of the event, which was held at The Abbott. Several awards were presented, including Michelle Heath-Fisher and Todd Lowenstein, Volunteers of the Year; Mary Kemper […]

Stella and Susan Wally   Bambina * Anna Ricket   Thunder * Kate Humphrey   Henry * Ben and Jake Wolf   CJ * Anna Ricket   Lilly Mullen * Trip Mullen and Katie Black Photo Credit: Shelley Castle Photography   Frazier * Anna Ricket   Norman * Robert Hentzen   Astro and Hndrxx * Ashle […]

SevenDays-Make a Ripple, Change the World volunteers are taking a tragedy and turning it into a ripple of inclusion, wholeness, and nurturing, and creating a wave of positive change for the future. Each year, seven days in the spring are designated to a variety of programs and activities focusing on kindness. This year, Virtual SevenDays […]

The coronavirus has changed everything, especially the way we eat. Some of us are cooking more. Many of us are picking up or having food delivered. As I am writing this, we are a few days into our 30-day shelter in place. In other words, only essential services will be available. But restaurants and caterers […]

March 5th was the date for Heart of America Council, Boy Scouts of America’s Patron Luncheon. Doug Price served as chairman of the event, which was held at the Kansas City Convention Center. More than 1,000 guests enjoyed keynote remarks from Terry Fossum, an Eagle Scout, author, and adventurer.   Terry Fossum, guest speaker   […]

Lené Westerman and Colleen and Kevin O’Malley served as the co-chairmen for Benedictine College’s 49th Annual Scholarship Ball. The February 29th event was held at the Overland Park Convention Center. The Most Reverend Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, DD, was honored with the Cross of the Order of St. Benedict. John Holt served as the emcee. […]

Nearly 500 guests gathered for Horizon Academy’s Bayou Bash 2020. The February 29th event was held at the InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza. Partygoers enjoyed a Cajun-inspired dinner, silent and live auctions, games, and dancing to the tunes of Funk Syndicate. Meghan Phelps and Anna Welchman   Doug Bates and Jim Godfrey   Katy […]

Each April, Children’s Mercy celebrates its incredible volunteers, who serve important roles in a myriad of functions and brighten days for patients and their families. These are just a few of the hundreds of volunteers who allow Children’s Mercy to fulfill its mission of pediatric health care. Stephanie Simpson “Going to the doctor can be […]

Kim Gile is a member of the Centurions Fall Class of 2020, where she has served more than 100 volunteer hours. Kim is the president-elect of KC Downtowners and is past president of Consensus. She earned a bachelor’s degree in international business management from The University of Kansas, and a master’s degree in information science […]

“Reading was my escape and my comfort, my consolation, my stimulant of choice.” – Paul Aster As we enter into another week of social distancing, I can’t help but be grateful for the millions of stories that I can escape into at a moment’s notice. Reading has always been my escape from the world, and […]

March 1st was the date for Cabaret, a benefit for Rose Brooks Center. Anita and Dean Newton served as the chairmen for the 33rd anniversary event, which was held at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center. Cynthia Newsome was the emcee. The featured performer was Megan Hilty, who entertained guests with Broadway show […]