The Kansas City Spirit Award
April 20, 2010
Kansas City Marriott Downtown
“When you see
something that needs doing to make Kansas City better and you care
enough to get it done.” - Attributed to William Gillis
The Kansas City Spirit Awards were initiated by Gillis in 1982 to
recognize Kansas City residents who demonstrated the energy of
Kansas City in their everyday lives as depicted in the Norman
Rockwell painting "symbolizing the indomitable courage of men and
women who put service above self." The painting "The Kansas City
Spirit" still symbolizes Kansas City's spirit. The Kansas City
Spirit Awards honors community volunteers in a celebration of civic
pride and commitment to Kansas City. As we celebrate 29 years, we do
so with sleeves rolled up, plans in hand, determination and a strong
spirit of community.
Dr. John Hunkeler (of the Hunkeler Eye Institute) and Mary Hunkeler are two well known individuals within the Kansas City Community, where they have distinguished themselves in service to others helping to make Kansas City a better place to live. Both are past recipients of Kansas City Spirit Awards and they continue to serve on numerous Boards of Directors for area nonprofit organizations. The Gillis Center and the 29th Annual Kansas City Spirit Awards are truly grateful to John and Mary Hunkeler for being our Honorary Chairs in 2010. |
2010 KANSAS CITY SPIRIT AWARD RECIPIENTS
David & Michelle Carpenter
David is President/CEO of North Kansas City Hospital, and is also current president of the Missouri Hospital Association Board. Under his leadership, North Kansas City Hospital, especially through it’s Chip in for Charities Golf Tournament, has donated over $5 million to various nonprofit organizations throughout metro Kansas City. Michelle has been an active patient care volunteer for over 20 years. Since joining NorthCare Hospice in 1999, she has provided over 625 hours of direct patient care. Her other volunteer tasks include Friends of NorthCare Hospice, Northland Community Foundation Board, Harvest Ball, Family Conservancy, darrel Bland Sertoma Club and the R.A. Block Cancer Foundation. In 2008, AFP-MidAmerica Chapter gave David and Michelle the Spirit of Philanthropy Award
Martha Hunt
Martha founded SAFEHOME 30 years ago as a domestic violence shelter in Johnson County. Since Safehome’s founding, over 69,000 victims of domestic violence have been assisted face to face, or through SAFEHOME’s 24-hour hotline. Martha has been a member, volunteer and past president of Soroptimist International of Kanasas City, whose mission is to improve the lives of women and girls in our community, region, nation and world. Martha has served as Vice President on the Board at Rosebrooks Battered Women’s Shelter, as well as at Shepherd’s Center. In 2002, Martha recieved KC Chiefs Quarterback Award for her work with SAFEHOME.
Gayle Price Krigel
Gayle’s contributions to Kansas City represent a wide landscape of worthy causes ranging from diversity and tolerance projects, to education, to aging, to anti-violence, to the arts, and even to the Kansas City Zoo. Gayle serves in leadership positions with many worthy causes including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kansas City, the very successful Community Cadet Club of Central High School which has helped more than 400 at-risk students graduate from high-school, the Jewish Community Foundation and Junior League. The lessons Gayle learned while leading her very successful sportswear company, Mid-America Wholesale, she has since applied to important events such as the Salaam Shalom Celebration, the Stop-Violence Coalition Kindest Kansas Citian Awards Banquet, the Helzberg Excellence in Aging Awards Diiner, the Nazi Olympics benefitting the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, and the Kemper Museum’s Liza Lou Benefit.
Annie Presley
Annie is the principal of McKellar Group, Inc. a public affairs company that helps non-profits meet their governmental and fundraising needs, through the pro-bono and volunteer consulting work she’s done for so many worthy organizations, Annie and the McKellar group have helped to make good causes great. Annie has volunteered her efforts and expertise with the Negro Leagues baseball museum, the 18th and Vine District, many civic affairs, her church and the University of Missouri. Annie holds 14 current memberships on boards and has retired from service on 12 other boards.
Ah'Lee Robinson
As the founder and director of the Kansas City Boys and Girls Choirs, Ah’Lee has helped Kansas City Youth transition from chaotic starts to good singers to good people. The Kansas City Boys and Girls Choirs have changed nearly 200 young Kansas City lives. Ah’Lee is the Minister of Music at Peace Baptist Church and the choral director of the Master’s Men’s Choir at St. James United Methodist. He is the chairman of the Southwest Division of Repertoire and Standards for Boys Choirs. Ah’Lee has volunteered his time and resources for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, De LaSalle Education Center, and YouthFriend and been a Junior AAchievement Career Coach. Ah’Lee has put his own family on the front line by becoming a foster family and an adoptive parent.
Jim Malouff
The list of organizations and projects that Mr. Malouff has been involved in or started in Kansas City is astounding. The list includes the revitalization of the Citizens Association in the early seventies, facilitating the creation through merger of the Economic Development Corporation and the Mobile Educational Drug Information Center and being the driving force behind the Grand Boulevard of the Americas. Jim’s vision for Kansas City has been a global one. In addition to organizations helping children in Africa, Europe, and Central America he’s improved the city’s relationship to the world with projects for Greater Kansas City People to People, Kansas City Sister City Association, the Institute of International Education, and other international organizations. With an eye on the globe Jim has kept his hand in our community too by working with many local organizations promoting area industry, arts, and education.
Kent Sunderland
As the director of Kansas City’s Sunderland Foundation, Mr. Sunderland has been instrumental in caring for the infrastructure of non-profit work and making sure with bricks and mortar grants that when there is good work to be done, there is a place to do it. Kent’s work with the Kansas City Crime Commission and instrumental role in the Surviving Spouse and Family Endowment fund have made for a safer city, and his work for the UMKC and the Nelson Atkins Museum have helped make Kansas City more educated and more cultured.
2010 Gillis Volunteer Of The Year
Martha Fuller
Whether in the work force or staying home to raise children, volunteering has always been a big part of Martha’s life. As a former teacher, Martha’s commitment to children and education has been life-long; so that is where much of her volunteer work has been focused. It’s involved everything from tutoring mainstreamed children with special needs to making 38 elf costumes for a school program to helping incorporate a service dog into an autistic child’s therapy. Since Martha’s other long-time passion is dogs, bringing Pets for Life to Gillis was the perfect volunteer opportunity for her. The success of that program and the relationships she developed with students, teachers, and staff prompted her to become a Gillis volunteer. She assists Carol Herold in the art room and serves Lynn Newell’s classroom as a reading partner and room mother.
Thank You To These Fine Sponsors Of The 2010 Spirit Awards
2010 Kansas City Spirit Award Sponsors
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Sponsorship Opportunities
Gillis believes every child deserves a
positive educational experience and a chance to be successful. Since
the 1960s, Gillis has opened its classroom doors to students from
over 20 school districts in the metropolitan area. Focusing on the
unique potential of each child, our teachers allow youth the chance
to grow academically while developing basic life skills and
appropriate social skills. By providing an array of therapies and
services, we enable each child to grow at his/her individual pace.
Our goal is for students to successfully return to their
neighborhood schools.
Sponsorships for the 2010 Kansas City Spirit Awards Celebration are
vital in ensuring that the event is a success and that the programs
and services offered in our Special Alternative Education School are
enhanced.
For information about sponsorship contact John Biggs,
816.508.3548 or john.biggs@gillis.org. Or, you can download the sponsorship
form and reply form shown below.
Sponsorship Form
Stories
Derik came to Gillis because he was having difficulty at his home school. He didn’t want to listen to anyone and didn’t want to play with the other kids; sometimes he would hit and kick. He was sent to the Principal’s office several times a week and his mom was called to pick him up from school often. He was diagnosed with a mood disorder. Gillis was recommended as a school which could help Derrick.
Read full storyGillis News
2010 Kansas City Spirit Awards! ... Read More
Our Winter 2010 Newsletter Is Now Available! ... Read More
Gillis is part of Cornerstones of Care, a partnership of agencies providing therapeutic treatment services for children and families.
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