November 17th was the date for The American Royal’s Chairman’s Uptown Hoedown in Hale Arena. Stephanie Boryla and Charlie Tetrick were the co-chairmen. Friends and supporters of The American Royal gathered to celebrate the conclusion of another successful American Royal season. Proceeds support The American Royal’s mission to impact the future of agriculture. Kim Palmer, […]

The Arvest Theatre at The Midland was the site for the Most Wanted Auction on December 1st. Each year, Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City select honorees – this time, there were 40. Nearly 1,000 guests bid on amazing, once-in-a-lifetime auction packages. Honoree Amy Grothaus and Liz Lewis   Adam Miller with Sean, BBBS Voice […]

Irv Hockaday was honored with the 2018 Henry W. Bloch Human Relations Award at the Jewish Community Relations Bureau|AJC’s Human Relations Dinner on November 18th at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center. Kay Barnes, Shirley Bush Helzberg, Herb Kohn, and Pat McCown served as the co-chairmen. Linda and Terry Ward, Kay Barnes, co-chairman; […]

Need inspiration for your holiday shopping? You’ll find it here. Ours isn’t the most practical approach – the biggest item on our wish list is a time machine. (Imagine Santa Claus with his fingers plugging his ears, singing “La la la la” in a less than festive manner. Oh, well.) In 1950, for the darling […]

A bouncing baby boy named Everett Woods Langdon was born on August 17th in Our Town to Laura and Jesse Langdon. The blue-eyed, brown-haired boy weighed eight pounds, five ounces, and was 19 and one-quarter inches long. His grandparents are Mary Don and Bob Beachy and Dottie Langdon and the late Emmett Langdon. Everett joins […]

“Westward Ho!” was the motto, when Chelan David and his daughters, Neah and Kylie, set out on their travels. They visited Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. One highlight of the trip was seeing the Grand Canyon.  Also featured in the December 15, 2018 issue of The Independent   

For several years, members of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity at The University of Kansas and Missouri Western State University have been dedicated volunteers for the ALS Association Mid-America Chapter. Their work goes beyond raising funds and awareness for the organization – although that’s important, too. They also can be counted on to assist with […]

Through his childhood and early adult life, Ryan Gray was constantly a man on the move. He estimates that he has moved around the country 20 times. Education? Northwest Missouri State for his bachelor’s degree, the University of Florida for his master’s degree and additional study in marketing and economics at Zuyd University in the […]

KidsTLC ’s Benefit18, “Transformation,” was held on October 20th at the DoubleTree by Hilton. Partygoers enjoyed delicious fare, handcrafted cocktails from J. Rieger and Company, live entertainment, and silent and live auctions. Lucy and Andy Rieger served as the chairmen, and members of the Ives Family were the honorary co-chairmen. Greg and Nancy Koons with […]

Feminist icon Gloria Steinem was the featured speaker on November 10th at the Uptown Theater for THE event. Proceeds support expert health care for more than 20,000 patients annually at Planned Parenthood Great Plains’ Kansas City metro health centers.   Leilani Galles, Lorelei Galles and Nell Galles     Julie Sayers, Natasha Noman, Bethany Butler […]

Gigi Rose served as the chairman of the Emerald City Ball, which was held on October 6th at the InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza. For patrons, the fun didn’t end that night. On October 16th, they were the guests for a four-course dinner onstage at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, followed by […]

Brouhaha, a benefit for the Kansas City Actors Theatre, was recently held at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. This year’s theme was “Be the Art.” Guests enjoyed cocktails, a silent auction and a program. Karen and Jack Holland were the chairmen, and Board Members Cinnamon Schultz and John Rensenhouse served as the emcees. Chairmen […]

Henry Bloch, Mary and Tom Bloch and Peggy and Terry Dunn served as honorary co-chairmen for the 8th Annual Mentors Challenge, a benefit for High Aspirations. Debbie Swearingen and Gayle Krigel were the co-chairmen of the event, which was held on November 8th at the Muehlebach Tower of the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Ralph Reid […]

Bubble Ball for Wishes Sake, a benefit for Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas, was held recently at The Abbott Event Space. The second annual event featured a runway show and an art gallery exhibit designed by local artists who used bubble wrap to recreate Our Town’s Wish Kids’ favorite movie characters. More than $275,000 was raised […]

Elvis was in the building – the Pavilion at John Knox Village – on October 26th. The Pavilion itself was transformed into a casino for a Viva Las Vegas evening, featuring live and silent auctions, dancing and a variety of games. The event was the Boo Ball, a benefit for Saint Luke’s East Hospital. Proceeds […]

For National Philanthropy Day on November 14th, the Mid-America Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals hosted a reception at Starlight Theatre’s Applause Club, followed by a celebration for award winners. The 2018 honorees: Beth and Pat McCown – Philanthropist; Deliece Hofen – Volunteer; Honeywell – Business Philanthropist; Jenea Oliver, Children’s Mercy – Excellence in […]

If you’re looking for gifts for your furry friends, look no further than items made by members of Inclusion Connections, a non profit that provides social, educational and employment opportunities for young people with developmental disabilities. One of the organization’s programs is PawsAbilities, a job skills training and placement program for individuals with disabilities in […]

Ryan Shriver is a producer in the commercial insurance division at Haas and Wilkerson Insurance and has more than 13 years of experience in the industry. In addition to his day-to-day sales responsibilities, Ryan’s clients represent non-profit, human services and professional organizations, and he focuses on providing risk management to them. He enjoys serving on […]

Kathryn Hannah Stanton and Stephen Evans Nichols were united in matrimony at Old Mission United Methodist Church in Fairway, Kansas, on October 6th. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Blake Stanton of Overland Park, Kansas. Kathryn is the granddaughter of Mr. Daniel Mark Hannah of Lyons, Kansas, and the late Mrs. […]

Suzanne Shank and Marty Smoler were the honorary chairmen, and Yvette and Joseph Miceli served as the chairmen of the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance’s Crescendo. The November 2nd event was held at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. More than 430 guests enjoyed cocktails, a delicious dinner, a performance in Helzberg Hall, […]

As the holidays loom and the end of 2018 draws near, this period of time seems like an especially good one to reflect upon the year gone by and the wonderful books that I read. Since this time is filled with “best of” book lists, or the option to vote in the Goodreads Choice Awards, I […]