The Kansas City Rainbow Tour is a self-guided, app-narrated history of Kansas City’s rich LGBTQ+ past. The driving tour is the creation of Joel Barrett and is presented by Joel Speaks Out. A launch party was held on June 3rd at the Kansas City Museum. The Tour takes approximately one hour. It begins near the […]

Heartland Men’s Chorus Kansas City was founded in 1986. The organization’s mission is to build community, celebrate pride, and empower authenticity. “The Heartland Men’s Chorus Kansas City’s vision is singing to inspire a world of love and acceptance. We are at the forefront of the LGBTQ performing arts movement,” said Mitch Weber, HMCKC. He added, […]

Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City was founded in 1979 by Mary and John Pritchard, along with members of a board of directors. Since then, the organization has built or renovated more than 800 homes in six counties in Missouri and Kansas. Its programs include Pride Build, which supports members of the LGBTQ+ community by […]

The Coterie Theatre was founded in 1979 by Judith Yeckel and Vicky Lee. Its mission is to provide professional classic and contemporary theatre which challenges audience and artist and provides educational, dramatic outreach programs in the community. It seeks to open communication between races, genders, and generations by redefining children’s theatre to include families and […]

BlaqOut was founded in 2017 by D. Rashaan Gilmore. Its mission is to create a community where Black people of queer and trans experience and their allies are connected and supported, have access to equitable healthcare and safe spaces, and enjoy sufficient resources to help them thrive. By focusing its efforts on improving healthcare and […]

The Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center was the site for the 17th annual Dancing with the Kansas City Stars, a benefit for Cristo Rey High School. Cathy and Chip Toth served as the honorary chairs for the event, which was held on March 25th. Sarah Walsh and Christy Hartner were the event co-chairs. […]

The YMCA of Greater Kansas City’s 15th annual Challenge Your Fashion event was held on April 22nd at the Muehlebach Tower of the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Shannon and Brent Johnson were the event chairs. Partygoers enjoyed a fabulous fashion show, where local professional athletes and YMCA Challenger athletes ruled the runway. The event also […]

The Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center was the site for the annual Lyric Opera Ball, hosted by the Lyric Opera Circle. This year’s event, which was held on April 1st, had the theme “Celebrating Sondheim – ‘Send in the Clowns.’” Drs. Karla and Ivan Batlle served as the honorary chairmen. Edie Downing and […]

The Jewel Ball Chairmen’s Coffee took place at The Kansas City Country Club on April 12th. This year’s Jewel Ball will be held on June 17th at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Joan Marsh is serving as the honorary chairman, and Anne Russ is the chairman.      Featured in the May 27, 2023 issue […]

The 10th annual Brew for Books, a benefit for The Family Conservancy, was held on April 26th at Boulevard Brewing Company. Guests donated books for children from infants to five-years-olds, and celebrated early brain development and literacy. Ryan Triggs was the featured performer. There was an auction and also yard games.          […]

Children’s Mercy formally invested five endowed faculty positions at the 2023 Investiture Ceremony on April 19th. The honorees were Dr. Aliessa P. Barnes, The Melva and Randall L. O’Donnell Chair in Pediatric Cardiology; Dr. Steven Olsen, Swatek Family Endowed Chair in Neonatology; Dr. Jon Wagner, Matson Family Endowed Professorship in Cardiology Research; Dr. Norman Y. […]

April 20th was the date for Jackson County CASA’s Light of Hope Breakfast, which was held at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center. CASA was founded in 1983 by the Kansas City Chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women, and the event celebrated the organization’s 40th anniversary. The honorary chair was Jeff […]

The 27th annual Kids Night Out, a benefit for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City, was held on April 15th at the Overland Park Convention Center. Mary Jane and Michael Judy served as the honorary chairs, and Andy Burczyk, board member, was the chair. The program featured a message from Sanay C., Missouri […]

April 19th was the date for the Women’s Committee for the UMKC Conservatory’s True Blue Spring Luncheon, which was held at Indian Hills Country Club. The event chairman was Michele Hamlett-Weith. Bonnie Chaney serves as the organization’s president. Dr. Alison DeSimone, associate professor of musicology, UMKC Conservatory, introduced the student programs. Guests enjoyed a delicious […]

Mara Khanna is a student at Kansas City Ballet School. She will attend New York University this fall, and she intends to study ballet and psychology. Rochester, Minnesota, is Mara’s hometown. During her time in Our Town, she has taken online classes with BlueSky in Minnesota. Mara has appeared in student roles in Kansas City […]

With family from Tokyo, Japan, Sergeant Stephen Stroder of the North Patrol Division of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department speaks some Japanese, and taught English in Japan for three and one-half years. Stephen is proud of his Japanese heritage. He has a degree in history from UMKC, is the father of three grown daughters, […]

Norma Shinno Irving Donlon has resilience. Her ancestry is Japanese, and she was born in Arkansas during World War II. Because of that, Norma’s birth took place in the Camp Jerome War Relocation Center. At the age of seven, Norma lost her hearing due to an illness. She compensated by learning lip reading. Norma attended […]

Mary Buche, who is of Korean ancestry and was born in Seoul, South Korea, is the first Asian American to serve as the chair of the Community Bank Advisory Council of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She is senior vice president, fair banking & CRA officer at Lead Bank. (CRA stands for Community Reinvestment Act, […]

Kunal Tanna is the assistant to the general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs. He is proud of his Gujarati Indian heritage. A tradition he is especially fond of is Navratri, a nine-day festival, which honors Durga, the goddess. Kunal’s father was from Mumbai, India. His late mother was born in Kampala, Uganda, which she […]

Chris Constant was born in Seoul, South Korea, and grew up in Our Town. He and his husband, Rob Lundien, are the parents of two children. Chris serves as a board member with the Heart of America Council, Boy Scouts of America, and The Family Conservancy. Chris is a vice president with the Federal Reserve […]

Weiyi Zhang was born in China and is an actor. Her education involved stints at several boarding schools, beginning when she was five years old. Weiyi later studied at the University of Iowa. While in Our Town, she was in the cast of productions such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare’s A Christmas Carol, […]