February 19th was the date, and Chicken N Pickle in Overland Park, Kansas, was the place for Growing Futures Early Education Center’s first annual Pickleball & Jams tournament. Guests competed in multiple rounds of the popular sport and enjoyed the tunes of Vanessa Ramirez, aka DJ Ne$$. Proceeds will help provide quality early learning opportunities […]

February 4th outdoors? Brrr! February 4th at the Kansas City Convention Center? Ahhh. That was the evening for the 19th annual Red Hot Night gala, which was hosted by the Red Hot Night board. Proceeds benefited pediatric research at Children’s Mercy. Angela Hurt and Anita and Dean Newton were the honorary co-chairs, and the co-chairs […]

February 24th was the date – and Hotel Kansas City was the place – for Defying the Odds: A HALO Art Auction. Missy and Bill Love and Rebecca and Trey Bowen were the honorary co-chairs. There were live and silent auctions, which featured a variety of items, including artwork by HALO youth and professional artists. […]

Practice makes perfect! That was certainly true when Lené Westerman and Colleen and Kevin O’Malley reprised their roles as co-chairmen of the 51st Benedictine College Scholarship Ball. The Cross of the Order of St. Benedict was awarded to Kathy and Jack Newman. The emcee was John Holt. The evening’s festivities included videos, student features, and […]

A celebration of the remarkable pets of Our Town.  Sponsored by:                                                                      

Doctors Hilary and John Stroh served as the honorary chairs for Soirée 2023. The benefit for the Friends of Chamber Music was held at the Kansas City Club on March 3rd. Nancy Lee Kemper is the board chair. Among the highlights were a preview of the 2023-2024 season, a live auction, and a performance by […]

February 24th was the date for the K-State Alumni Association’s Wabash CannonBall. The 16th annual event was held at the Overland Park Convention Center. Nearly 900 guests celebrated at the black-tie evening, which supports scholarships for K-State students from the Kansas City area.                     Featured in […]

The J. Rieger Distillery was the site for Alphapointe’s seventh annual Boots and Pearls: Wine and Whiskey. Nearly 600 guests gathered for the February 24th event. Partygoers sampled wines, beers, J. Rieger spirits and cocktails, delicious bites, and tempting auction packages. Proceeds will be used to support vision rehabilitation for people with vision loss.   […]

The Central Exchange was founded in 1980 by Marjorie Powell Allen and Beth Smith. The 160 founding members included Kay Barnes, Anita Butler, Joan Dillon, Adele Hall, Mamie Hughes, Dorothy Johnson, Linda Moore, Terry Satterlee, Linda Hood Talbott, and Judith Whittaker. Toni Watson was the organization’s first executive director. Ann Hackett is the current leader […]

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) was founded in 1950. The Kansas City chapter, which was created in 1982, currently has more than 150 members. The organization’s focus is on STEM Outreach for girls in the metropolitan area and on networking events for women in STEM fields. Events include Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day […]

Sylvya Stevenson founded the National Congress of Black Women–Kansas City Chapter in 2013; it is an affiliate of the National Congress of Black Women, which was founded by the late Representative Shirley Chisholm, who was the first Black woman to be elected to The United States Congress. The organization offers affordable memberships for Black women […]

Terri E. Barnes founded The Nia Project Kansas City in 2020. The organization works to support projects that enable Black women and girls to build confidence and increase their opportunities for success. Black Women Get Fit (BWGF) is the signature program. Participants meet with experts in a variety of fields. In addition to physical fitness […]

Cynthia Newsome, founder, and Angela Curry, co-founder, created Awesome Ambitions in 1997; Cynthia now serves as the organization’s president. Awesome Ambitions participants are Black and Brown girls in the eighth through the 12th grades. The organization has four pillars: social justice and the law, college and career readiness, entrepreneurship, and health and wellness. Participants are […]

Mother’s Refuge was founded in 1987. The organization’s clients, who reside onsite, are young women who were previously homeless and are either pregnant or have very young children. Medical care is provided. Residents are required to pursue educational opportunities and are encouraged to accept counseling. A five-step program is devoted to lessons in parenting, infant […]

Heart of America Shakespeare Festival’s Romantic Revels was held on February 11th at the InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza. Drs. Susan and Charles Porter were the honorary chairmen. Linda Word was honored with the Founder’s Award. Guests enjoyed cocktails, a gourmet dinner, a silent auction, and dancing. For a special treat, HASF actors and […]

Many coveted auction items and raffle prizes will be featured at the Lyric Opera Circle’s Lyric Opera Ball. Karla and Dr. Ivan Batlle are serving as the honorary chairmen for the event, which will be held on April 1st at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center. Juliette Singer and Edie Downing are the […]

Rebecca Sommers founded Girls on the Run Serving Greater Kansas City in 2007. Running is a key component, but it’s far from the only one. The organization’s programs, tailored for students in the third to the eighth grades, are designed to strengthen girls’ social, emotional, physical, and behavioral skills. Participants learn life skills, such as […]

Prior to becoming a student at Park University’s International Center for Music, Anastasia Vorotnaya had been educated at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory in Russia, the Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in Spain, and the International Piano Academy in Italy. She is “A Prodigy of the 21st Century,” according to Musical Life Magazine. Beginning […]

Life Unlimited’s Hats Off to Mothers luncheon will be held on May 11th at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Rachael Sabates is serving as the luncheon chair. The honorees, applauded for balancing family life, personal achievement, and community service, are Lisa Block, Stephanie Freeman, Sandra Lawrence, Laura Perin, Anita Robb, Lynda Robertson, CiCi Rojas, Nancy […]

January 19th was the date when members of Kansas City Ballet’s Bolender Society gathered at The Kansas City Country Club for A Musical Evening with Ramona, featuring Kansas City Ballet’s Music Director, Ramona Pansegrau. The festive event included a dessert reception and a program on Cinderella and Prokofiev’s captivating music. Guests enjoyed Ramona’s presentation and […]

More than 200 guests gathered for The Independent’s Top Ten Party on February 16th at the 1900 Building. Our Town’s strong commitment to philanthropy was on display at the celebration as the Top Ten Events of 2022 and The Independent’s 2023 Class of Rising Stars were announced. Each Rising Star was presented with a custom […]