The Independent’s 2026 Rising Stars and Top Ten winners enjoyed a delightful evening of celebration on February 19th at Mission Hills Country Club, complete with friends, family, and lots of fun! Our honorees and Rising Stars represent the best and brightest of those making a lasting impact in Kansas City. Congratulations!
THE TOP FIVE TOURNAMENT EVENTS OF 2025
- Ronald McDonald House of Kansas City Trent Green Golf Classic – $306,634
- Fore the Kids Foundation Fore the Kids Golf Tournament – $285,214
- Down Syndrome Innovations Step Up for Down Syndrome Golf Tournament – $240,603
- First Tee of Greater Kansas City Day For Kids Golf Tournament with Tom Watson – $206,000
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City Legacy Golf Tournament at Loch Llyod – $185,000
THE TOP FIVE MULTI-DAY EVENTS OF 2025
- Children’s Mercy Kansas City: Big Slick – $3,520,929
- The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: ShuttleCork – $1,984,739
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City: Most Wanted Auction – $1,520,731
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City: Summer Bowl for Kid’s Sake – $776,500
- Newhouse Worthy Pop-Up Bar – $233,161
THE TOP FIVE BREAKFAST/LUNCHEON EVENTS OF 2025
- Metropolitan Organization Countering Sexual Assault, MOCSA: 50th Anniversary Community Luncheon – $424,827
- Women’s Employment Network: WEN Annual Luncheon – $345,223
- The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: C100 Luncheon – $286,722
- Life Unlimited: Hats Off to Mothers – $229,609
- Ability KC Ability Luncheon – $152,432
THE TOP FIVE WALK/RUN EVENTS OF 2025
- Down Syndrome Innovations: Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk – $204,517
- Ability KC: Groundhog Run 2025 – $171,349
- Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired: CCVI Trolley Run – $114,776
- Wayside Waifs: Strutt With Your Mutt – $102,955
- KC Pet Project KC Pet Project 5K – $78,109
THE TOP TEN IMPACT PLAYERS OF 2025
- Fore the Kids Foundation Lifting Spirits: A Premium Bourbon Experience – $199,603
- Wildwood Outdoor Education Center Wild Night for Wildwood – $175,438
- HappyBottoms Bottoms Up for Babies – $1666,065
- Truman Heartland Community Foundation: Toast to our Towns Gala – $164,688
- Great Plains SPCA Best In Show! – $146,000
- Answering the Call: Resiliency Gala – $122,871
- The Pet Resource Center of Kansas City: The Fairy-Tails Ball – $116,245
- Band of Angels Art That Blows – $115,977
- Jackson County CASA Cocktails for CASA: A Night of Hope -$115,466
- Answering the Call 6th Annual Trivia Night – $92,725
THE TOP TEN NATIONALLY SPONSORED EVENTS OF 2025
- Breakthrough T1D Kansas & Missouri: Dream Gala Kansas City – $1,523,784
- Variety KC Heart of Inclusion Gala – $842,546
- American Heart Association: 2025 KC Go Red for Women Luncheon – $841,360
- American Heart Association: KC Heart Ball – $824,579
- Alzheimer’s Association Kansas City: Walk to End Alzheimer’s – $635,000
- Blood Cancer United Light The Night Kansas City – $496,444
- Breakthrough T1D: Kansas City Walk – $338,028
- American Heart Association: KC Heart & Stroke Walk – $379,941
- American Cancer Society: Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Kansas City – $310,088
- Variety KC Hy-Vee Golf Scramble – $130,038
THE TOP TEN EVENTS OF 2025
- Catholic Charities Foundation of Northeast Kansas: The 51st Annual SnowBall – $4,852,369
- Catholic Education Foundation: Gaudeamus – $4,121,116
- Children’s Mercy Kansas City: Red Hot Night 2025 – $4,075,054
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City: Kids Night Out 2025 with Jordan Davis – $2,702,002
- Police Foundation of Kansas City: A Call for BackUp – $1,595,560
- Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy Leading With Love – $1,524,186
- Rockhurst High School Spectacular Auction – $1,480,335
- Benedictine College Scholarship Ball – $1,353,516
- Donnelly College SHINE for Donnelly College – $1,327,664
- Ronald McDonald House Kansas City Spark of Hope Gala – $1,258,202
For photo booth photos please click here
Featured in the February 21, 2026 issue of The Independent
Photo credit: David Riffel
