May 8th was the date for Project 39’s The Mother of All Happy Hours. The hosts of the more than 60 events asked friends and family to come for a happy hour celebration and bring baby items. The Family Conservancy partnered with Project 39 to receive the donated baby items that will be stored at […]

The Jewel Ball Chairmen’s Coffee was held on April 9th at The Kansas City Country Club. Ellen Zimmer Darling is the chairman of the 60th Anniversary Jubilee of The Jewel Ball, to be held on June 21st at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Also featured in the May 31, 2014 issue of The Independent Photo […]

April 3rd was the date for CASA of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties’ Promise of Hope Luncheon at the Ritz Charles. Proceeds from the event will support CASA of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties’ work as advocates for abused and neglected children under court protection and help provide more Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers. Also featured […]

Clark Hunt, Matt Besler, Shannon Vreeland, Adam Dorrel, and the Shawnee Mission West Football Community were recognized for their commitment and achievement in Our Town’s sports at the Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation’s 41st Annual Sports Awards Banquet. Denny Scott served as the chairman of the event that was held on April 11th at […]

The Linda Hall Library has launched a year-long Panama Canal Centennial Celebration. On April 8th, the Library celebrated the opening of The Land Divided, The World United: Building the Panama Canal exhibit. A working model of a canal lock, created in partnership with graduate students at the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering, was displayed […]

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art was privileged to have His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman for the opening of the exhibit Roads of Arabia: Archaeology and History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on April 23rd.  Also featured in the May 31, 2014 issue of The Independent Photo Credits: Chris Crum, John Lamberton and […]

May 2nd was the date for The Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault’s (MOCSA) Community Luncheon at the Muehlebach Tower of the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Keynote Speaker Erin Merryn, shared her story of triumph over years of sexual abuse as a child. Christy and Bill Gautreaux and Zulema and Terry Bassham were the honorary […]

Mark June 28th on your calendar as a night you don’t want to miss! The Coterie Theatre’s Boots & Bow Ties Gala will celebrate 35 years of professional theatre with a night of live entertainment by Rex Hobart and the Misery Boys Band. Cowgirls and cowboys will also enjoy gourmet food, luscious libations and country […]

Harvesters – The Community Food Network’s Forks & Corks was held on April 24th in the Grand Ballroom at the Kansas City Convention Center. More than 2,000 guests enjoyed signature cocktails and delicious cuisine from some Our Town’s finest restaurants and beverage purveyors. Michelle Breashears served as the chairman. Proceeds from the event will provide […]

The inaugural Brews for Books literacy event, a benefit for The Family Conservancy, was held on April 17th at Boulevard Brewing Company. More than 250 partygoers donated books to children in need and enjoyed Boulevard beer, delicious fare and the vocal stylings of father-son duo Ryan Triggs and Jim Triggs. Also featured in the May […]

April 4th was the date for the Angels of the Children’s Place Gala at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Nancy and Steve Hooley were the honorary chairmen, and Beverly Casper and Nan McConnell served as the co-chairmen. Proceeds from the event support The Children’s Place and its mission to help the youngest survivors of abuse, […]

Night in BLOOM: a black & white masquerade, which took place at the Scottish Rite Temple on April 12th, was completely sold out! The fabulous evening was the most successful event in the Kansas City CARE Clinic’s 43-year history. Also featured in the May 31, 2014 issue of The Independent Photo Credit: J. Robert Schraeder […]

At the Salvation Army’s Westport Community Center, members of the women’s auxiliary helped mailed out the Shopping With A Heart catalog, its annual fundraiser for The Army’s Children’s Center. Also featured in the May 17, 2014 issue of The Independent  (Seated) Rebecca Laughlin, Louise Barnow, Kay Roscoe, and Kathleen Anderson (standing) Joanne Kurre, Pat Conway, […]

Great Plains SPCA’s Pawtini Gala, “Seeing Spots,” was held on March 29th at the Muehlebach Tower of the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Ann Jandl and Debbie Ward served as co-chairmen of the event that featured cocktails, dinner, live and silent auctions, and dancing. Also featured in the May 17, 2014 issue of The Independent Photo Credit: […]

Deanna and Greg Graves were the honorary chairmen, and Dr. Patricia Martin and Kim Madden served as co-chairmen of the Saint Luke’s Foundation’s seventh annual Books & Boutiques. Marlo Thomas was the featured speaker, and each guest received a signed copy of her new book, It Ain’t Over. Proceeds from the event support the Emergency […]

The Plains Indians: Artists of Earth and Sky exhibit opened in Paris at musée du quai Branly on April 7th. To celebrate this milestone exhibit, The Nelson-Atkins Board Chairman Shirley Bush Helzberg and Julián Zugazagoitia attended the Paris opening with a group of patrons from Our Town, as well as collectors from other cities. The […]

Lorrie and Rick Miles were the honorary chairmen, and Andy Burczyk served as the chairman of The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City’s Kids Night Out on March 28th at the Overland Park Convention Center. The event featured a “One Night Only with Al Pacino” theme and more than 1,100 guests enjoyed cocktails, […]

April 3rd proved to be the perfect day for the rescheduled Kansas City Tip-Off benefit concert for Kansas City’s Medicine Cabinet. The March 1st snow had kept the two-time Academy of Country Music’s Vocal Duo of the Year winners Thompson Square from their date at the Uptown Theater. Guests were treated to a delicious dinner […]

April 9th was the date for Jackson County CASA’s Light of Hope. The event supports Jackson County CASA’s work as advocates for abused and neglected children under court protection and will help provide more Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers. Karen Daniel was the honorary chairman, and Jacque Hansen served as the chairman.  Also featured in […]

April 6th was the date for the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy’s Civic Service Award Dinner at the Overland Park Convention Center. Bari Freiden and Michael Klein were the honorary co-chairmen, and Susan and Nate Bergman served as the chairmen. More than 500 guests enjoyed the “Seeding the Future” themed-event that honored Dr. Irene Bettinger, and […]

March 29th was the date for Cristo Rey Kansas City’s Dancing with the Kansas City Stars at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center. Ryane Delka, Larkin O’Keefe, Jenny Murphy, Stann Tate, Dr. Valerie Chow, Chris Hernandez, Rick Jones, and Kevin Ryan, along with their Allegro Ballroom partners, performed for more than 1,000 guests. […]