Park International Center for Music’s Stanislav & Friends was held on September 17th at the Boulevard Drive-In. Guests enjoyed beautiful classical music at the reimagined event which featured a pre-recorded concert, artist interviews, and VIP concession boxes. The highlight of the evening was the eight-hand, four-pianist, two-piano finale.        Fantasia Ta, Lisa Voss, […]

Joe Vaughan started collecting political buttons when he was still in grade school – and his collection has grown to include bumper stickers, leaflets, magazine articles, and other souvenirs of the campaign trail. Many show support for presidential candidates, and others highlight the careers of local officials and office seekers. “I was imbued with an […]

The Unity Village campus was the setting for Jackson County CASA’s 15th Annual CARnival for CASA, which was held on September 13th. From their vehicles, families could enjoy the spirit of a parade, along with jugglers, a dance troupe, exotic birds and reptiles, and more. Susie and John Newsam were the honorary chairmen.   Also […]

Christy and Bill Gautreaux and Mary and Mark Jorgenson were the co-chairmen for The National World War I Museum and Memorial’s Night at the Tower on September 12th. The sixth annual gala moved from the tower to homes across the region, where guests at nearly 250 households enjoyed a private broadcast. The stream of entertainment […]

We really don’t mean to sound like old fuddy-duddies, but in all probability, we will be judged as such. Stay with us as we explain how we’ve transformed ourselves into cool, hip, enlightened middle-agers. We never expected halls of indoor graffiti to make our hearts sing. We’ll get to the “why” in a minute, but […]

August 24th was the date for the 39th Annual Ben & Betty Zarda Family Golf Classic. The event, which was held at Lake Quivira Country Club, supported Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. Honoring the late Betty and Ben Zarda, 120 golfers raised more than $160,000 for Catholic Charities’ summer food initiatives, including the Kids Summer […]

Fancy footwork was imperative as Cristo Rey Kansas City’s annual fundraiser, Dancing with the Kansas City Stars, made the switch to a live-streamed event. The honorary chairman was David Johnson, with Julisha Wilkins and Justina Wilkins, Cristo Rey alumnae and seniors at the University of Missouri – Columbia, as honorary co-chairmen. Kathleen Couchonnal, Kathleen Callahan, […]

In the Directors of Philanthropy issue, The Independent celebrates the remarkable people in Our Town who donate so much of their time and talents to charitable organizations.          Also featured in the October 3, 2020 issue of The Independent

Shadow Glen Golf Course was the site for the KidsTLC Open. The event was held on August 17th and featured libations, food stations, and unique games. Players safely hit the links at staggered, assigned tee times, and enjoyed a beautiful day of golf. Proceeds support services that help children deal with the challenges of mental […]