Gillis | for children and families since 1870

Recent Events

Special events are truly “special” to Gillis. They are activities which have a significant impact on our bottom line. They are fun, but they are also essential to helping Gillis provide programs and services to the children and families we serve.

2008 Spirit Award Celebration

Special recognition to those carrying on the flame of the Kansas City Spirit was initiated by Gillis in April of 1982 as a community service project. Five Kansas Citians were presented a handsome framed reproduction of Norman Rockwell’s painting “The Kansas City Spirit,” in a ceremony held as part of an historical show at the Folly Theater. The show in 1982 was built around William Gillis, one of the founders of Kansas City, and how he, and others who followed him, were inspired by what we now call the “Kansas City Spirit.”

With pride in being a part of Kansas City history for 112 years, the Gillis Board voted in the fall of 1982 to make the Kansas City Spirit Awards ceremony an annual event. In celebrating 27 years of the Kansas City Spirit, we do so with sleeves rolled up, plans in hand, determination and a strong spirit of community.

The 2008 Kansas City Spirit Awards celebration was held on April 30 at the Kansas City Marriott downtown. More than 400 people came to honor the five recipients.

Sandra Doolin Aust

Sandra Aust’s early interest in helping others led her to a career in nursing. She has worked for many years as a Registered Nurse in clinical settings and has also founded and managed nursing related organizations.

Most recently she embraced the challenge to educate Missourians across the state about stem cell research. Many people have benefited from her hundreds of presentations all around the state. Read More

Sandra remains active with the Harvest Ball which she co-founded 21 years ago. The Ball has raised millions of dollars for charitable efforts in the Northland.

She recently finished serving as President of the Kansas City, Missouri Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners. Despite enormous budget cuts for the Park Board, Sandra managed to continue to provide great services to the Kansas City Community by forging new partnerships and attracting outside financial support to help make up for lack of City funding.

Sandra currently is involved in promoting the Liberty Memorial, serves on the City of Fountains Foundation, and is active in Friends of Line Creek, among a host of other organizations all aimed at making Kansas City a better place.

Michael Chesser

Michael Chesser is President and CEO of Great Plains Energy Company, the parent company for Kansas City Power and Light and Strategic Energy LLC. As head of Great Plains Energy he has taken on numerous leadership roles including, Chair of the Economic Development Council of Kansas City, the Civic Council and Honorary Chair of Boys & Girls Clubs Kids Night Out event and Chairmanship of Partnership for Children, among others. Read More

Mike is committed to volunteerism, children and youth and environmental issues. Under Mike’s leadership, KCP&L’s environmental philosophy is to minimize the impact of operations on the environment, give careful consideration to using renewable resources, promote recycling wherever possible and provide timely and accurate information about environmental impacts to stakeholders.

His leadership has transformed KCP&L’s employee volunteer program. In 2006 the company launched a powerful new strategy which leverages financial support, corporate thought, employee leadership and volunteerism throughout all levels of Kansas City Power & Light to improve the communities in which the company operates.

He is especially passionate about early child care and education, understanding that high quality early learning programs are keys to a child’s long-term success. He also knows that vulnerable youth need encouragement and support from birth through college or career. With this in mind, Mike has set up an infrastructure within KCP&L that embeds mentoring, tutoring and scholarship programs throughout the company. Hoping to hire young people in these programs, Mike has expanded the company’s collaborations with Full Employment Council, INROADS, YouthFriends, Junior Achievement and local schools and colleges.

Charron Townsend, President of Partnership For Children, says of Mike, “Many people are passionate about children’s issues but don’t have the power or the resources to create change. Others have influence but lack the passion or understanding of the issues. Mike Chesser is one of the few individuals who not only “gets it,” but also has the passion, influence and commitment to really make a difference.”

Rafaela “Lali” Garcia

Rafaela “Lali” Garcia has tirelessly dedicated her life to enrich the lives of Kansas City’s Hispanic community. She is recognized as a driving force behind the Guadalupe Center, which offers educational and social services to Latinos in the Armourdale district of Kansas City. She joined the Board of Directors of the Guadalupe Center in 1974, served three terms as Board President, and most recently acted as Board Secretary.

She has been a member of the Union Cultural Mexicana Ladies Auxiliary since 1968 and served as its Chairwoman since 1991. She has served as a full-time volunteer at the Casa Felix Senior Center since 1990. She also served for six years on the Public Improvement Advisory Committee. In 1996 the Mayor appointed her to both the Guadalajara Sister City Commission and the Port Authority Board of Commissioners. She was a founding member and has served as President of the la Raza Political Club since 1989. She has served on the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast Committee since 1987.Read More

Her lengthy list of awards is a testament to her commitment to the Latino community. She has been the recipient of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Humanitarian of the year award, the Pat Rios award, which was given to her by the Guadalupe Center, The MANA Community Service Award and has been listed in Ingram's magazine as one of KC's Local Heroes. In 2004 Governor Holden appointed her to the Academy of Missouri Squires, an organization formed in 1960 to honor 10 Missourians a year for their accomplishments.
Rafaela “Lali” Garcia encourages young people to get involved in the community to make it a better place for all of us. Her friends admire her common sense and her fiery spirit.

Retia Grant

How many people can deliver a baby, cook and feed hundreds of people at a youth rodeo, hold the hand of a terminally ill person and have a party for the elderly, all in the same week. Retia Grant does these kinds of things on a regular basis. Her husband captures her spirit most vividly. “Retia has very deep and strong feelings for all life. It matters not whose life it is, just that she can help to comfort or aid it.” Read More

She became a midwife 36 years ago after encountering young women who were scared and alone and needed someone to care about them and their babies. She has assisted in the birth of over 100 babies and continues to work with young mothers-to-be.

Believing that “the journey out of this world can be just as meaningful as the journey to enter this world,” she has provided direct bedside care to terminally ill patients for over 35 years and has been a member of Hospice for the past 10 years. She provides support, encouragement and comfort to families that are dealing with the loss of a loved one and direct hands-on care to the terminally ill.

Retia has a catering trailer that she has named “Heavenly Hot Dogs.” She has given many young people their first job, mentoring them and setting an inspiring example. She takes “Heavenly Hot Dogs” to fairs, rodeos and the Louisburg Cider Mill. During the summer she serves food at the Christian Youth Rodeo and donates her proceeds to the Christian Rodeo Group.

Retia and her husband have been foster parents and have homeschooled two children and have also taken in numerous stray animals that need food and love. A friend of 17 years says of Retia, “Everybody that comes in touch with her smile and energy leaves rejuvenated and happy. She is the most loving, caring person I know.”

James B. Nutter, Sr.

As a close friend says of James B. Nutter, “When you read his resume you feel like you are holding a piece of Kansas City’s history in your hands. Yet he remains in the background shunning publicity and notice.” The list of organizations in Kansas City that James B. Nutter has helped is long and formidable. Read More

He’s served on the boards of Children’ Mercy Hospital, the Harry S. Truman Library Institute, the Truman Medical Center Charitable Foundation and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. He’s President of the Learning Exchange Endowment Fund, a trustee and life member of the State Historical Society of Missouri and a Member of the Missouri Arts Council. He has played and active role in Gordon Parks School, Habitat for Humanity, the Rehabilitation and remodel of the Nutter-Ivanhoe Neighborhood Center as well as the Scarritt House, the building of the James B. Nutter Family Information Commons at the University of Missouri in Columbia and the construction of new facilities for Wayside Waifs.

While the list of his many contributions is impressive, it does not begin to define James’ impressive spirit. One friend describes him as “a walking history book that is always willing to share his knowledge, expertise and sound advice. The best advice he gives is ‘Be honest, work hard and the cream will rise to the top.’”

He has generously helped the Center for Breast Care at St. Luke’s Cancer Institute, SAVE, Inc. and Habitat for Humanity. He has raised millions of dollars for the Harry S. Truman Library Institute and he quietly provided a million dollars to fund the state of the art Sybil Silkwood Nutter playground at Children’s Mercy Hospital. He also was a member of Children Mercy’s Governing Board for many years, serving on the executive, compensation and public affairs committees. He has been an active advocate with state and local elected and government officials on topics relative to children’s health issues.

James B. Nutter is known as a giant of a man with a heart to go with his stature.

Our congratulations to all the nominees who were not selected for the award. Congratulations for being nominated. Your nomination shows that you truly exemplify The Kansas City “Spirit”.

Karen Pecis 2008 Gillis Volunteer of the Year Award

During the Spirit Awards Celebration, Gillis was pleased to present the 2008 Gillis Volunteer of the Year Award to two Rockhurst high school students who helped raise more than $100,000 for the renovation of our residential cottages. To read their story, click here.

This award was named posthumously in honor of a former employee – Karen Pecis - who devoted so much of her time and energy for the benefit of the children and families we serve. We were proud to present the 2008 Karen Pecis Award to:

David Cannova Belpedio
David attended Barstow School from 1995 through 2006. His is currently a sophomore and on the Dean’s List at Rockhurst High School. He has received Magis First Honors. He is part of the Junior Varsity Tennis Team for 2007 and 2008. This year he is also a member of the sophomore Cross-Country team, a participant in the Pep Band Club and involved in the high school orchestra. In addition, he is an accomplished piano player and competed in the 2007 and 2008 high school district competition. He received a Superior rating in 2004 as a member of th4e National Federation of Music Clubs. In 2007 David was honored for the Outstanding Academic Achievement People to People student leader program. He also completed Washington School of Studies. As one of the youngest students to complete the Dale Carnegie Course he is very accomplished in what he has taken on in life.

Carter DeWitt Clause
Carter DeWitt Clause was born in Pasadena, California, October 30th, 1991. He attended Mayfield Junior School of the Holy Child until 5th grade when his parents moved the family to the Kansas City area. Carter is an accomplished pianist, and has been playing since the age of 5. He has performed in numerous state competitions, both in California and Kansas. He also plays tuba and trumpet in the Rockhurst Wind Ensemble and Pep Band. He has been a member of the Leawood South swim team for the past five years winning awards for “Hardest Worker” and “Most Improved Swimmer”. He swims for the Rockhurst High school swim team and played on the Rockhurst freshman football team. Carter has earned a spot on the Honor Roll at Rockhurst in each of his first three semesters. He and his friend, David Belpedio, were featured on Fox 4 News by Phil Witt in his “Reaching 4 Excellence” segment for their fundraising efforts to benefit the Gillis Home for Boys. Carter resides in Leawood, Kansas with his parents, Lynn and Paul, younger sister, Riley, and two dogs, Bubba and Tubby.

2008 Gillis Golf Classic

The 17th Annual Gillis Golf Classic was held on Tuesday, June 10, at the beautiful Loch Lloyd Country Club. An 11 a.m. shotgun saw 144 great golfers hit the links!

Registration, driving range, and chipping and putting contests began at 9 a.m. Lunch was prepared by the Gillis kitchen staff and served by some of the Gillis students. On-course refreshments were provided throughout the day. An awards ceremony and hors d-oeuvres concluded the day with the 2008 winners announced.

A big thank you to the 2008 Golf committee, Loch Lloyd Country Club and all the wonderful sponsors who made the 17th Annual Gillis Golf Classic another success!

For information on the 2009 Golf Classic click here.

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 story

Gillis News

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Gillis is part of Cornerstones of Care, a partnership of agencies providing therapeutic treatment services for children and families.