Katie and Clyde Wendel and Peggy and Bill Lyons are serving as the honorary co-chairmen for Kansas City Young Audiences‘ 50th Anniversary Celebration on November 12th at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Idina Menzel will be the featured performer at the event, which is close to being sold out.

Katie and Clyde are supporters of the arts, art collectors and proponents of life-long learning.  “We enjoy the theatre, opera and ballet.  We collect works of art on paper which include lithographs, etchings, woodblock prints, and watercolors.” says Clyde.

Katie has been an elementary and middle school art educator for nearly twenty years.  She loves photography and working with clay.

Katie and Clyde both attended Ohio University where they met. After graduation, they lived in New York where they took advantage of the many art offerings the city provided..  After fulfilling his military service obligation, Clyde was asked to transfer to Frankfurt, Germany, by his employer, American Express.

It was there, their first son, Alex, was born. Living in Europe gave them many opportunities to travel to exotic places, such as Kenya,Tanzania, Egypt, Istanbul, and Moscow. Living overseas fueled their interest in other cultures.

After four and a half years abroad, they returned to the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area.  During the twenty months they lived in the states, their second son, Matt, was born.  Shortly thereafter, another overseas offer came their way, and they found themselves moving  to Singapore.

Singapore was the ideal place to explore the Far East, and they would often travel to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Hong Kong.  Katie became a docent at the National Museum of Singapore. “Because of this eye opening opportunity to live aboard, our sons are more worldly and as a result, more appreciative of various cultures and their arts.” says Clyde.

The Wendels left Singapore for St. Louis, Missouri, where they  lived for fourteen years.  Clyde worked for Centerre Bancorporation, and Katie pursued her love of Asian art by getting a master’s degree in Asian art history.  She eventually found herself teaching elementary school art and discovered a new love. “No two days were ever alike. Kids are so unpredictable,” says Katie, laughing.  She loves exposing children to all kinds of art mediums and art history.  “The challenge is to teach them without them realizing they are actually learning at the same time.”  She even used art extensively to teach social studies and history.

In 1997, Katie and Clyde arrived in Kansas City having been relocated with his employer, Bank of America.  (He is currently vice-chairman of UMB Bank and runs the Global Asset Management group.)  Shortly after arriving, Katie met Lennie and Jerry Berkowitz.  Lennie, one of the founding members of KCYA; called her, picked her up at her house and took her to the YA offices where she was introduced to Daniel Windham, then executive director of KCYA.  She served on the board of directors for six years.  Katie also continued to pursue her love of teaching by working with middle school students in four Catholic grade schools in Kansas City, Kansas, for five years.  Afterwards, she continued to teach 3rd through 8th grade students at only one of her schools, Holy Name.  Through a local foundation, Katie ensures that the students of Holy Name School continue to have access to the Arts Partners programming provided through KCYA.

For the past five years, Katie has been working with middle school and high school students at The Nelson- Atkins Museum of Art in the New Dimensions program. This is a digital storytelling program, technology based, in which students use works of art from the museum’s collection as well as other images and their own writings to create a three to five minute movie. “
Both Katie and Clyde are looking forward to a special celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Kansas City Young Audiences.  “I am passionate about the arts,” says Katie.  “If I don’t have a personal connection to a cause, then it doesn’t have meaning for me.  The arts are important, essential to our being.  They are what makes us human.”

(Also featured in the October 1st issue of The Independent)

Katie and Clyde Wendel, honorary co-chairmen (out of camera range) Peggy and Bill Lyons, honorary co-chairmen

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Carol Massman Fryer’s enthusiasm for the American Royal is infectious. She is serving as BOTAR president this year and enjoying every minute of it. In addition to the Ball, Carol is especially excited about the American Royal Parade which coincides with the opening of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. “There is a lot of pride and excitement in Our Town right now, and BOTAR is thrilled to be part of it,” Carol said.

The eldest child of Carolyn Sue Pfeifer Massman and John Thomas Massman, Carol attended St. Teresa’ Academy and graduated from The University of Kansas. She was a BOTAR, class of 1981. Carol has six siblings and her sister, Kay Massman Lobb, was a BOTAR in 1994 and her brother Joe was a GOTAR in 1991. Carol’s other siblings were unable to participate in BOTAR due to jobs and careers.

“Both of my parents instilled in our family a deep sense of pride in our community and how important it is to become involved and take an interest in its future. They taught us this by example,” Carol said.

As a child, Carol learned about the American Royal through her three aunts who were BOTARS: Peggy Massman Freeman, the late Vicki Zuber Massman and the late Mary Massman Schnoebelen. When Carol became a BOTAR, one of her favorite activites was giving the school tours. “It was wonderful to watch the children who had not been around an agricultural environment. Seeing the doors open for them was very rewarding to me.” Carol has also made many special friendships through BOTAR. “I met one of my dearest friends, Laura Babcock Sutherland, and we are close to this day.”

Carol’s husband Kevin Lee Fryer is from Columbia, Missouri. He loves their family’s deep involvement in BOTAR. The couple has four children, John Burnell, Lee Elizabeth, Cecelia Susan, and Kimberly Ann. All three girls have served as Pages in the Ball, and the entire family enjoys the American Royal. For years, Carol and a group of BOTARS took their toddlers on an annual outing to the American Royal petting zoo.

This year’s BOTAR class has 31 BOTARS, and 15 of them are legacies. Three have mothers who were BOTAR presidents, one has a grandmother who was a member of the first BOTAR class in 1949 and four served as Pages. One Page’s grandmother was a past BOTAR president, and two of the five Pages this year are twins. Carol is thrilled to have so many legacies and respects the special family traditions that they uphold. She is also excited about the many new fresh faces joining BOTAR this year and relishes the opportunity to educate them about the many aspects of BOTAR. “BOTAR can be what you want it to be. It is wonderful to be able to help the American Royal and make so many friends. I don’t know very many organizations where you can work on a committee with your mother’s best friend and your daughter’s best friend. The multi-generational involvement is extraordinary,” Carol said.

Carol is passionate about BOTAR’s mission to support the American Royal through volunteering and financial contributions. Members help educate school children year-roundand give them tours in the fall at the American Royal. They teach them about a variety of things including milking a cow, herding sheep and how to ride a bucking bronco.  The BOTAR organization endows numerous scholarships, internships and a Presidents’ Scholarship in memory of late BOTAR presidents.

Carol and her many committee members are hard at work on what promises to be a spectacular Ball. “There is a wonderful current of philanthropic energy running through Kansas City this fall. I encourage everyone to join in by attending the Ball and supporting the American Royal,” Carol said.

Carol is pictured with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas Massman,  at the 1981 BOTAR Ball.	Carol enjoyed horseback riding at Camp Allendale.

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The UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance will present a night of exquisite cuisine and captivating performances at Crescendo 2011 on October 22nd at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center Hotel. The enchanting evening will feature student and faculty performances, and all proceeds will support Conservatory student scholarships. Anne and Howard Elsberry will serve as the honorary chairmen, and Lisa Schellhorn and Don Dagenais are the co-chairmen.
One of the scintillating performances that evening will be excerpts from Madame White Snake, an opera by Zhou Long, UMKC Conservatory research professor of music composition. Cerise Lim Jacobs, a first time librettist and a retired Boston attorney; wrote the text. Zhou Long was awarded the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for music for the opera.

A few years back, Gil Rose, the conductor at Opera Boston; contacted Zhou Long and his wife, violinist and composer Chen Yi, a UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance professor; about writing the music for Madame White Snake. Chen Yi  already had a commission, so Zhou Long worked on it with Cerise for three years. Madame White Snake is based on the classic Chinese folk tale about a snake who transforms into a woman so that she can experience love. It premiered with Opera Boston at the Cutler Majestic Theatre on February 26, 2010. Madame White Snake also was co-produced by the Beijing Music Festival Arts Foundation and was performed in China last fall. In addition, it will be presented by the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center’s China Festival on September 21st. In the future, Zhou Long hopes to see Madame White Snake produced in its entirety in Our Town, either through the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance or the Lyric Opera.
When the Pulitzer Prize was announced in April, Zhou Long was taking a nap that afternoon. Chen Yi woke him up to say that the calls were coming in. “Friends left short messages, and I didn’t know what was happening. I went on the Internet, and I saw the Pulitzer announcement with my name next to it. It was exciting. I really didn’t expect this,” said Zhou Long. He is proud of the fact that he is the first Asian American to win the Pulitzer Prize in music. In addition, it has been close to 50 years since a full-length opera has been awarded a Pulitzer.

It has been quite a journey for Zhou Long, from his life in Beijing to the academic realm at the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance and winning the Pulitzer Prize. He was born in Beijing to an artistic family. His mother was a singer and a teacher at the Central Conservatory of Music. His father was a painter and taught at the China National Drama Academy. Zhou Long began taking piano lessons at an early age. During the Cultural Revolution, he was sent to a state farm while he was a teenager, where he drove a tractor for three years. The roaring wind and the frigid conditions made a lasting impression. At times he and his fellow workers were even forced to defend the Chinese border against the Soviet army. “This harsh environment gave me a sense of profound spirituality, and I never lost hope,” said Zhou Long.

In 1973, he resumed his musical education, studying composition, music theory and conducting, along with traditional Chinese music. In 1978, it was announced on the radio that the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing was reopening. Zhou Long enrolled in the first composition class, where he met his future wife Chen Yi. After graduating in 1983, he became the composer-in-residence with the National Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra in China. He also married Chen Yi. “The school didn’t allow couples to marry. We were supposed to concentrate on our studies.”

In 1985, he was awarded a fellowship to attend Columbia University and received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 1993. Chen Yi was teaching at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University when she was recruited to the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance in 1998. Zhou Long remained in Brooklyn where he lectured at Brooklyn College and was a free-lance composer. In 2001, Chen Yi was the recipient of the Charles Ives Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and Zhou Long temporarily taught in her place at the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. He has had a teaching position there ever since.

Zhou Long gets along well with his colleagues and is proud of the international student body at UMKC. He also has enjoyed watching Our Town grow culturally and is looking forward to the opening of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Despite his new-found fame, he likes living in a calm, mid-sized city. “I have no plans to go anywhere else,” Zhou Long said.

Zhou Long, 2011 Pulitzer Prize winner for music and composer of the opera Madame White Snake, which will be featured at Crescendo

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Kansas City Young Audiences (KCYA), the region’s largest provider of arts education, will present its 50th Anniversary Celebration on November 12th at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. It will be one of the first events at the new Center. Idina Menzel, star of the hit television show Glee and Tony winner for her role as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, in WICKED; will be the featured performer. She also was nominated for a Tony for her role in Rent. “Idina is a perfect fit for our event,” says Marty Arvizu, director of marketing and business development for KCYA. “Through her role in Glee, she understands the value of arts education, and all the ‘Gleeks’ out there are going to just love her. In addition, young people involved in high school and college musical theater will be very excited to hear her sing.” Peggy and Bill Lyons and Katie and Clyde Wendel are serving as the honorary co-chairmen.

Bill Lyons states: “I have a special connection to Young Audiences since my parents, Mary and Robert, helped found the Kansas City chapter in 1961, along with Lennie and Jerry Berkowitz, Trudy and Dr. Dewey Ziegler and Norman Hollander, who was the principal cellist of the Kansas City Philharmonic.” Others who were involved in those formative years included Norman Kahn, Cecile M. Franking, Virginia Jennings, Esther Brown, Betty Slegman, and Trudy Oliver. “As a child, I watched my parents fundraise for Young Audiences and even helped stuff and seal the envelopes,” says Bill. When he and Peggy moved back to KayCee, Lenny Berkowitz convinced Bill to get on the KCYA board. He served from 1990 to 2000 and was the chairman from 1994 to 2000.

The idea for Young Audiences started in 1950 in Baltimore, Maryland. It was originally conceived to expose children to classical music, but its scope has broadened over the years to include the visual arts, dance, theatre, music, and creative writing. There are now 30 affiliates throughout the country, including the one in Our Town. “We have teaching artists from all disciplines, such as hip hop to country musicians, cutting edge performers from the Owen/Cox Dance Group, puppeteers, and actors from the Unicorn and Kansas City Repertory Theatre,” says Marty Arvizu. KCYA serves more than 178,000 children each year and has engaged more than 5 million in its 50-year history.
There are basically three major components of KCYA. One is the School and Community Programs, which place artists in the schools through auditorium performances, workshops and residencies in connection to core curriculums. “If students are studying the Civil War in their history class, musicians may come in and perform pieces from that time period,” says Bill. “Teachers can supplement their lesson plans in math English and science through the arts. In addition, children are directly engaged in the arts through these workshops and on-going residencies. It encourages participation and experiential learning.”

The second component, Arts Partners, founded in 1985 with the help of Adele Hall, is a unique consortium of 16 premier arts organizations, which includes The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Kansas City Symphony, the Lyric Opera, and the Kansas City Ballet. It provides innovative arts-in-education programs for grades K-12, where children can attend these organizations for further enrichment.

The third component is the Community School of the Arts (CSA), which opened in 2004 and is located at St. Teresa’s Academy. It also is where Kansas City Young Audiences is headquartered. CSA offers children year-round after school and weekend classes in dance, drama, visual arts, music, and creative writing, along with programs throughout the summer. “It’s important to understand that these programs are for everyone, not just for the gifted and talented,” says Bill. “It’s a place for young people to go for more in-depth instruction. CSA provides a path for someone already involved in the creative process.” Bill believes strongly in the arts being a part of every child’s education, and that they make our community more livable. “Through the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity, the new building that will house the Kansas City Ballet, we are making big investments in the arts. We need to prepare our children to support and participate in these institutions. KCYA is a great way to start that process.”

(Also featured in the August 6th issue of The Independent)

Photo Credit: KCYA

Bill and Peggy Lyons, honorary co-chairmen; and  Katie and Clyde Wendel, honorary co-chairmen

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We recently got news that our community partner, Nonprofit Connect, was listed as one of the largest organizations in the KayCee area by the Kansas City Business Journal.  Below is a snippet of its distinction:

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“According to the list published in the June 3-9 issue of the Kansas City Business Journal, Nonprofit Connect is the 14th largest business and professional association in the area (ranked by number of local members)!

This is especially remarkable in that until we (Nonprofit Connect) complete the transition to our new membership database, we are only able to count organizations as one member- even though a member organization may have hundreds of staff, board and volunteers entitled to full membership benefits. What a great illustration of our nonprofit community’s commitment to excellence in achieving their missions!”

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Congratulations, Nonprofit Connect!

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Artwork for Hope & All That Jazz was created by Valerie, a former Hope House client.  Several years ago, Hope House court advocates worked with Valerie to get an order of protection against her husband, and helped her file the paperwork for a divorce so she could escape her abusive marriage.  She continues to attend the group therapy sessions at Hope House.  After starting a new life free of abuse, Valerie realized her dream of getting her college degree in graphic design.  Valerie designs most of the artwork Hope House uses in their marketing programs.  She also designs posters, logos, invitations, and ads on a freelance basis for companies in the KayCee area.  To see more of Valerie’s work, click here.

2011 Jazz artwork courtesy of Valerie, a former Hope House client

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Civil Rights: Everyone’s Responsibility

I am honored to share a few words as we celebrate the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

We celebrate the progress that has been made, but we pause together and are reminded of the work that is still needed, even here in the Kansas City metro area, to create a just society for all.

In Kansas City we are proud that during King Week and all year long, we as a community care about justice, we work to make this a better community and we strive to honor and continue the work of Dr. King.  But “community” is made up of all individuals, and we are the agents of change for the “community.”

When I hear folks talk about justice in Kansas City, I hear their desire for justice, desire to end discrimination, desire for fair housing, desire for fair employment, desire to end racism, and their desire to end hatred and bigotry.  To succeed, the community needs individuals of different religions, different ethnic backgrounds and different skin tones to stand together and say: What can we do to make the dream of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. a reality in OUR generation?

For most of you who do not know me, I’m white, I’m Jewish, and I stood in a church last year for an MLK service because we will only have justice in our world when there is justice for EVERYONE.  People who have forgotten what injustice is, forgotten their ancestors encountered hatred and bigotry at some point in history — and every group has — and allow racism and bigotry to exist in our communities need to be reminded they are wrong.

When we celebrate Dr. King of blessed memory, we do not just celebrate him.  We celebrate all those who courageously devoted their efforts to the struggle across this country.

We celebrate the heroes whose names we know: Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall, the Little Rock Nine, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner.  And we celebrate all the heroes whose names we do not know — but we know they stood up to right the wrongs.

We celebrate them, remember them, thank them for their sacrifices and pray we have the courage to continue their work.  We have local heroes, too.  Too many to mention, but you know who you are.  YOU may be one of the heroes.  We can all be a hero.

We all want a better community, and this is an issue for which we should all stand together.  Injustice for one is injustice for all.  We cannot stand idly by.  We must each speak up.  We must each, in our own way, work to end hatred and bigotry, discrimination, racial profiling and racist remarks.  We must do it as a community — and as individuals.

	Marvin Szneler is the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau/American Jewish Committee and Bert Berkley Chair for Community Relations. Visit JCRB/AJC’s website

© 2011 Kansas City Star and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.kansascity.com.

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A retrospective look at Beth and Mike’s life reveals much.  In 1992, Mike was a hard-working salesman, toiling in his own business.  Despite his determination and hard work, the business was not successful, his marriage failed, and he lived a nomadic life, alternating between an office couch and an apartment.

The next year, Mike’s life was in a much better place, courtesy of an amazing woman.  His new job blossomed into an extraordinary opportunity, leading Mike to a later position of leadership and minority ownership in Inergy, an anchor publicly-traded company in Kansas City.  His beautiful bride, Beth, enjoyed success with a career in the pharmaceutical industry.  Together, the Fox’s life was wonderful.

The good life was short lived, as it turned out.  Beth suffered a brain hemorrhage and was given a minimal chance of survival.  As Mike kissed his wife before she was wheeled into surgery, he feared it would be for the last time.

Thankfully, Beth recovered, and the Fox’s life took another direction.  As Mike says,  “I trusted Jesus Christ with my life, and found a joy beyond my circumstances.  Beth survived.  And I resolved to drop my pride and take a risk, to live and love in a way that I’d never known.  That’s taken us to fatherless children in the poorest corners of the earth.  In them we’ve found riches money cannot buy.”

Those corners of the earth include Port au Prince, Haiti, after the devastating earthquake that claimed more than 300,000 lives, and left thousands of children orphaned.  The Fox’s got in the trenches of the devastation, among the poor, caring for the children who were left with nothing.  These children had experience the worst imaginable conditions and, in some cases, abuse.  But Beth and Mike brought them an uplifting spirit that is evident in their countenance.  That’s the influence of this generous couple.  And that’s the DNA of the GO Project.

How in the world did the couple segue from a life of financial and material success to helping hurting children?  Beth and Mike realized that the material things… the house, cars, vacation home in Florida… did not a life make.  They were searching for something beyond themselves.

A young orphan in Africa	Children gather in a circle in Haiti.

They found that something beginning in 2003, with a $750 check to support a small shanty for 17 Karen orphans living in a refugee camp on the Thai/Myanmmar border. They also sent a support check each month.

That initial support planted a seed in Beth and Mike’s hearts that took root and grew.  Mike began to focus more on the orphans than on his work and growing his fortune.  While his business enterprise was going great; it was and today remains a huge blessing in his life.  But he found himself compelled to dedicate more time and energy to orphaned children.

The compulsion drove Mike, in August 2003, to do a seemingly crazy thing.  With the blessing of his friends at Inergy, Mike packed his bags and went to South Asia to visit the orphans he was helping to support.  Before he left, Beth slipped him a note that read: “You’re embarking on a journey, Mike, and we don’t know where you’re going and we don’t know how God is going to use you.  But wherever it is, I’m there 100% in support.  I’ve never been so proud of you.  I’ve never been so excited about our future.”

Days later in Thailand, Mike’s moment of truth presented itself to him. He was prepared to meet the 17 children, but was unusually nervous.  The business guy in him did what he thought best… he went out and purchased gift packages for each child. He walked through the gate of the refugee camp and into the little shanty.  There they were… children lined up, smiling, sitting patiently on the floor.  One by one, each child was called forward to greet Mike.  They graciously accepted their gifts and then returned to their spot on the floor.

There was just one hitch; Mike brought 17 gifts, and there were 19 kids.  Unbeknownst to Mike, the orphans’ caretakers had stretched the support money they received for 17 to keep two more kids alive.  Everyone just ate a little less rice and beans.  But two children now sat, empty handed, and Mike sat there embarrassed.  Then he looked closer.  Were those two upset that they didn’t get gifts?  They weren’t at all.  They were content.  Home.  Fed.  Full of joy.  Full of song.  Blessed.  God used those children to teach Mike an unforgettable lesson in love and humility that trades in currency far more reliable than dollars.

Beth’s prediction had been on the mark.  There was no way to know where this journey would take her and Mike – and now so many others.

There are well over 100 million orphans in the world, waiting for a chance to come into a loving home.  They don’t need gifts or extravagance.  They desire only the basics of a good life.  Mike and Beth started a non-profit organization to assist children who are on their own.  They dreamed that one day, perhaps they could fund 10 homes, maybe more, for these children.  It turned out they found much more, as their small project ballooned into what is now The Global Orphan Project.

GO Project plans children’s villages around the world where local churches, often with the assistance of widows and other women, care for orphaned and abandoned children in their communities.  But they need help. GO Project engages groups locally to provide that help.  Families, schools, businesses, and churches give, go, and spread what has become a grassroots movement to care for orphans.  They’re sponsoring children’s homes, schools, and even entire villages impacting several hundred kids – and teaching others to do the same.

Today, Mike and Beth lead GO Project’s board and, along with other private investors, fund all of GO Project’s overhead.  Fully 100% of a GO Project donation is used for orphan care.  As Mike puts it, “we want to share this amazing journey and become a footnote to how this started.  We fund the overhead to encourage many more to give their hearts and engage.  All are welcome, whether Christians or not.”

Mike and Beth – parents of five and grandparents of seven, with another on the way – have experienced highs and lows, great joy and great pain.  They’ve seen money come and go.  They’ve been refined and invigorated through faith.  Most of all, they’ve gained much wisdom.  Now a growing movement of so many experience a lesson Mike and Beth learned:  children hurting and in need, children dying in poverty, need help.  But they also offer riches to us that our economy cannot compute.  Did Mike and Beth Fox have it all through material items?  No.  That’s the myth of strivers.  Actually, children with nothing have shown them the secret of being content.

To learn more about Mike, Beth and GO Project, go to www.theglobalorphanproject.org. 60 Minutes will rebroadcast their segment about the Global Orphan Project on Sunday, July 11^th.

Mike and Beth lead the Global Orphan Project.	Beth gives many hugs.

Laura McKnight understands, and is a strong believer in, the benefits of planned philanthropy.  She says the GKCCF “offers people a better way to give.” She sees a huge increase in people who want to organize their gifts. The foundation assists donors with the creation of a fund, administration and planning of gifts to accomplish the donors goals while achieving maximum tax advantages.  The foundation’s services allow donors to satisfy their philanthropic goals in an organized and highly-effective manner.  The result underscores the vision of the foundation:  Community dreams fulfilled through the power of philanthropy.

The values of the foundation are solid:  Integrity, respect, passion and innovation.  The foundation conducts their work with transparency and honesty, values each person as individuals and respects diversity.  It also possesses passion for its mission, and seeks new ideas, working with flexibility, urgency, enthusiasm, and an entrepreneurial spirit.

The foundation, which oversees nearly one billion dollars in assets, houses 3,000 charitable funds and has provided more than $1.5 billion in grants since its inception.  Through regional affiliates, the foundation works with all parts of the city and for a variety of causes.  The foundation also administers Greater Horizons, which connects donors with charitable interests across the country.  With a local, regional and national presence, the GKCCF does offer a multitude of choices for philanthropists of all sizes.  As Laura says, “We have something to offer everyone.”

The new chairman of the board of the GKCCF is Anne St. Peter, founder of Global Prairie, an integrated marketing firm based in Kansas City.  Anne is approaching her two-year term as chairman with unmatched enthusiasm, and is confident that the foundation has “our fingers on the pulse of the Greater Kansas City community.”  Anne puts the innovation value into place every day at her company.  At Global Prairie, each employee has a fund at the GKCCF in their name that they direct.  Three times a year, on employees’ birthdays, hire anniversaries and holidays, Global Prairie makes a contribution to each of these funds.  In addition, at the end of each year, Global Prairie donates 10 percent of its profits to the Global Prairie Foundation.  Laura McKnight helped design this program, which Anne says has been a “phenomenal recruitment tool.”  The giving plan helps “attract the type of people who are interested in giving back,” said Anne.  In addition to the employees’ funds, Global Prairie encourages employees to be active in charitable organizations and to achieve leadership roles in the groups that are important to them.  Anne wants to reinforce the message of community engagement, and Global Prairie makes an extra effort to support the organizations where a member of the Global Prairie team has taken an active role.

Anne’s enthusiasm for philanthropy is evident not only in the unique funds she has the GKCCF create for her team members, but also in her role as board chairman.  Her goals for her tenure match the Foundation’s goals: increasing charitable giving in Kansas City, connecting donors to the community needs they care about, and playing a leadership role in critical community issues.

The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation is well-placed, both locally and nationally, to assist seasoned donors as well as attract new ones.  Educating youngsters about the importance of philanthropy is another goal of the foundation, and their Camp Charity is a way to show youth the ways they can make a difference with charitable gifts of time, talent and treasure.  Every Camp Charity participant receives a $25 Giving Card to redeem on a charity of their choice.  The next Camp Charity is scheduled for June 12th, and the GKCCF can provide you with registration details.

The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation is truly a remarkable institution, highly respected as experts in their field.  Whether you are a business owner wanting to mirror the giving methods of Global Prairie, a family or individual who wishes to organize their charitable gifts or an adult who desires to direct a youngster on a philanthropic path, the GKCCF has everything in place to assist in making charitable gifts as organized, effective, meaningful and successful.

Laura McKnight	Anne St. Peter

Moving toward fulfillment of their mission has created unique opportunities for Operation Breakthrough, and one of the most recent is the introduction of a new line of greeting cards, illustrated exclusively by the children served by the organization.  Each colorful card features art created by the children, and cards are packaged in four assortments… two for the holiday and two for everyday.  Each package contains eight cards and nine envelopes and are attractively priced at $10 per package.  Mail Print, Inc. generously donated the printing of the cards, enabling all proceeds to benefit the children of Operation Breakthrough.

Supporting Operation Breakthrough has never been easier, or more fun!  The cards, which also come in gift tag size for $5, are available online at www.operationbreakthrough.org, or a variety of retailers throughout the area, including Annedore’s, ARTichokes, Ceramic Cafe, Churchill, feng, 5B & Co. Candlemakers, Flowers by Design, Hollyday Aesthetics Spa, The Learning Tree, Mail Packages Etc., Pear Tree, Pryde’s Old Westport, RSVP in the Village, Reading Reptile, Shop Girls, and Webster House.  

In addition to the generosity of the retailers, volunteers planned and executed the entire greeting card project.  Melanie Bolin and Sarah Telford created the packaging and marketing of the cards.  Judy Bellemer, a retired art teacher, guided the children through their artwork, and Stephanie Lawrence completed the graphic design for the cards and marketing materials.

The greeting cards not only are a colorful and creative way to raise funds, but they are also an excellent outlet for the children’s creativity.  Additionally, the children feel the empowerment of enterprise and gain a stronger understanding of creating a product, marketing and selling it.  Buying Operation Breakthrough greeting cards is more than a purchase… it is an affirmation of the good work of the organization as well as the creativity the children.

Samples of the cards created by children from Operation Breakthrough.