Joe Reardon Receives 2013 Center Circle Award

This past Saturday (June 22) over 400 people gathered at Sporting Park in Village West to celebrate as former mayor Joe Reardon received the 2013 Center Circle Award from Community Housing of Wyandotte County.

I had the honor and privilege as serving as master of ceremonies for the event and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Although the air conditioning in the Members Club decided to take the evening off, it was a wonderful event from start to finish.

Over 400 attendees enjoyed a great evening
in the Members Club of Sporting Park.

Community Housing of Wyandotte County (CHWC) is a non-profit 501(c)3 community development corporation that has served the urban core of Kansas City, Kansas since 2002 (Facebook page). CHWC has provided more than 200 new and renovated homes to families living in the many neighborhoods that surround the downtown area.

In addition, CHWC has provided millions of dollars in financial assistance to new and existing homeowners, has fought against crime and blight, and has encouraged community engagement in urban core neighborhoods.

The many people who work for and work with CHWC do much more than simply build houses. By promoting housing improvements and home ownership, they help breathe new life and new energy into many of our older neighborhoods.

Three families who have purchased homes from CHWC
shared their stories and helped the crowd
appreciate the positive impact of CHWC on neighborhoods.

The Center Circle Award was first given in 2012. It honors people who have worked hard to make a positive difference in Kansas City, Kansas. The inaugural award was given to Monsignor Tom Tank who was one of the founding members of CHWC when he was the pastor of St. Peter's Catholic Church.

Monsignor Tom Tank presents Joe Reardon with the
2013 Center Circle Award.

Joe Reardon was honored this year for his many years of work to improve housing for all families in the downtown area of Kansas City, Kansas... first as Commissioner of District 2 and then as Mayor/CEO of the Unified Government.

Joe Reardon was joined on stage by his wife Amy (left)
as he shared his appreciation for the award.

During his remarks at the event, Reardon encouraged everyone in attendance to challenge "conventional wisdom" and push for innovation and excellence even when you are told it can't be done.

He said that if the city had followed "conventional wisdom" over 10 years ago, Sporting Park wouldn't exist for the award event because the Village West area would have never been created. Likewise, he said that the "conventional wisdom" of a little over 10 years ago said that you can't be successful building houses in the urban core. Yet, the dedicated employees and volunteers of CHWC have proved that conventional wisdom wasn't true.

Attendees congratulate Joe Reardon for his award.

Monsignor Tom Tank checks in with Susan Carroll.
Susan is a CHWC volunteer and was the primary organizer for the event.

If you'd like to support the work of CHWC, visit the "Donate" page of their web site.

Thanks to Donny Smith, Susan Carroll and everyone from CHWC for hosting a celebration of past achievements and future hope!

After the formal program concluded, attendees continued
the celebration and enjoyed top notch music from Fairfax Four.

~ Brian

bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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FreeWheels For Kids Empowers Youth of All Ages

Here's another wonderful example of good people doing great things...

Several months ago I happened to sit next to a young man I hadn't met before at a Strawberry Hill Neighborhood Association meeting.

In the course of our conversation, I learned that his name is Ben Alexander, that he and his wife Sofie recently moved to the Strawberry Hill neighborhood, and that he is an avid cyclist who has a passion for  getting kids on bikes and teaching them not only how to ride safely, but also how to keep their bikes in tip-top operating condition.

He makes a real difference in our community by serving as Executive Director of a non-profit organization named FreeWheels for Kids  (Facebook) that has a mission of "getting more kids on bikes more often and more safely in Kansas City."

As we talked, he spoke passionately about the benefits to health, the environment and society that come from empowering boys and girls to learn how to both ride and repair bicycles.

FreeWheels stages many different bike events at different locations throughout our community and I'd been meaning to attend one, but could never make the time work. I finally got a chance to see Ben in action on Saturday, May 18th when FreeWheels collaborated with the Latino Health For All Coalition to host a spectacular Waterway Park Bike Festival.

Waterway Park was alive with activity
at the Bike Festival on May 18.

This event grew from an original plan to hold a "cyclovia" on Central Avenue. A cyclovia is an event where one or more city streets are closed to automobile traffic for part of a day to allow unlimited access to folks on bicycles.

Unfortunately, logistical issues threatened to torpedo the cyclovia, so FreeWheels teamed up with Latino Health For All to create a combination bike rodeo and health fair. The YMCA and the Central Area Betterment Association also participated in creating and hosting the event.

Ben estimated that 80 to 100 kids participated in the bike safety aspect of the event. He and his volunteers helped the kids learn all sorts of skills ranging from how to work on their bikes to how to wear a helmet to how to signal and navigate on both city streets and country roads.

Pit stop! Volunteers and attendees focused on
bringing bikes up to top operating condition.

Ben Alexander demonstrates how to wear
a helmet so that it properly protects a rider's head.

After they wrapped up initial instruction, the volunteers engaged the kids in "time trials" around the park where kids rode fast and challenged the clock rather than other riders. Although most kids brought their own bikes to the event, FreeWheels did give away about six bikes to lucky attendees.

When we talked after the event, Ben emphasized how empowering it is for kids to learn how to fix a bike, perform well in a time trial and navigate traffic challenges like a four way stop.

A spectacular day at Waterway Park!

FreeWheels has been in existence since 2011. It was incorporated in 2012 and there is now a Board of Directors to help Ben plan and execute the activities of the organization

FreeWheels has a goal of giving away 900 bikes this year. They accept donations of used bikes throughout the year and can use bikes ranging from tiny ones for pre-K riders all the way up to big ones for really tall high schoolers.

One of the innovative ways they get bikes in the hands of kids is their Earn a Bike program. Each Earn a Bike class has up to 15 participants and typically runs two sessions per week for three weeks. FreeWheels gives the participants a helmet, basic bike tools and a notebook with their training curriculum. The participants then earn their own bikes from FreeWheels donated stock.

In week one, participants learn basic repair and maintenance by working on a bicycle that will be given to a younger child (who is too young to get into the repair aspect).

In week two, participants sharpen their repair and maintenance skills by working on a bicycle that they get to keep for themselves. They create repair tickets and complete repairs just like the mechanics in an actual bike shop. (Ben mentioned that the donated bikes often end up "better than new" after the kids have completed their repair work.)

Finally, in week three, participants use their newly acquired bikes to take part in "driver's ed". They finish their training by taking a written "Traffic Skills 101" test and then completing a test ride with a FreeWheels instructor.

Even the youngest attendees got instructions
from volunteers on how to be safe cyclists
at the May 18th event.

Another innovative program is the Bicycle Lessons and Safety Training (B.L.A.S.T.) that FreeWheels for Kids conducts at local elementary schools like Frank Rushton and M.E. Pearson. This program doesn't include the repair aspect but teaches dozens or hundreds of elementary-aged children how to be safe riders. See the FreeWheels for Kids web site for more information on B.L.A.S.T.

You can support FreeWheels for Kids by donating bikes, donating money and/or volunteering your time. See the Donate page of their web site for more details.

The May 18 event featured lively music, tasty food & great people.
How could it get any better?

In addition to Earn a Bike and B.L.A.S.T., check the FreeWheels for Kids web site or Facebook page for more details on these upcoming events:

• June 30 - Tour of Lawrence Bike Drive
• July 12 - Bike Drive and Safety Demonstrations at Mission Artwalk
• August 17 - Cathedral Criterium at Waterway Park

Many thanks to Ben and his organization for making a positive difference in our city every day!

~ Brian

bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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Bethel Neighborhood Center Still Vital in Second Century of Service

I continue to be astounded, amazed and humbled by the enormous capacity of the people of District 2 to serve and support one another.

Last Tuesday I had the privilege of visiting Rev. Kapzamang "Mang" Sonna and his staff at the Bethel Neighborhood Center. Located at 14 S. 7th Street, this wonderful center has been operating for over 100 years to support and benefit the people who make up the diverse neighborhoods around it.

I'm guessing that many of you have driven by the unassuming
brick building that houses the Bethel Center
without knowing about the incredible service and support provided inside.

The red dot shows where the Bethel Center is located
in far eastern Wyandotte County just south of Central Avenue.
(click to enlarge)

Day after day, week after week, the staff and volunteers of the Bethel Neighborhood Center work tirelessly to achieve the center's mission:

"To offer a renewed sense of hope, through the sharing of material, educational, health, social, and spiritual resources."

The doors of Bethel first opened on April 1, 1911. The primary mission at that time was to serve immigrants from Eastern Europe who were living near or working in the meat packing plants of the West Bottoms of Kansas City.

Rev. Sonna says that the center still offers advocacy, education and support for new immigrants, but that the demographic has shifted over the years. Many of the participants in the senior programs are still of Eastern European descent, but many of the younger participants are from Hispanic, Burmese or Bhutanese backgrounds.

Rev. Sonna estimates that the center served over 13,000 people in 2012.

Bethel provides after school programs and a summer program
to youth from kindergarten through eighth grade

No summer program is complete without
a great limbo contest!

The center offers a wide variety of programs and services, including:

• After school program
• Summer program
• Summer youth enrichment program
• Senior program
• Food pantry
• Healthy lifestyles classes
• Refugee assistance
• English as a Second Language classes
• Community meal and worship
• Community garden

Programs and services are free to anyone who needs them, with special emphasis on neighborhood residents. Children from any school in the area are welcome and transportation is available for schools and homes within the center's service area.

The center provides healthy snacks during the after school program
and lunch is provided during the summer program
through the generous help of Harvesters.

Participants of the summer program enjoy lunch together.

The center has three full-time and from six to nine part-time employees (depending on the season). A tremendous volunteer group allows the center to offer its wide variety of programming throughout the year.

Rev. Sonna said that 238 different people worked as volunteers for the center in 2012. Together they logged a total of 3,250 hour of service in support of the center and its programs.

Residents of Wyandotte Country who are 60 or older
can enjoy friendship, programming and lunch Monday - Friday
from 9:00 to 11:30.

One of the staff assembles a donation from the food pantry.

I had the privilege of meeting many of the center's staff, including a young man and a young woman who have both had a lifelong association with the center. They started as children in the after school and summer programs, then volunteered to assist with those same programs, then got hired as part-time staff at the center, and will soon be headed off to college to pursue further studies in mechanical engineering and nursing. What wonderful examples of accomplishment and service!

Whether younger...

...or older, everyone is welcome at Bethel Center!

Rev. Sonna has worked at Bethel Neighborhood Center since 2004 and has been the director since 2009. He was born in eastern India and relocated to the United States. He told me that he always envisioned that he would travel to a distant land outside the United States to be a missionary and perform mission work. He smiled as he said that the Bethel Neighborhood Center right here in the center of the country has now become his mission and his ministry. He couldn't contain his enthusiasm and pride for the work of the center and the people it serves.

You can contact the center at 913-371-8218 or you can visit their website or Facebook page to learn more about the services they offer and discover how you can offer your support.

Thanks to Rev. Mang Sonna (left) for his hospitality on Tuesday!

~ Brian

bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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Congratulations to RevolveKCK on Grand Opening!

After months of preparation, RevolveKC celebrated the grand opening of their Kansas City, Kansas location with an open house on May 18, 2013.

The bright and sunny day was perfect for everyone who dropped by to see the new shop and share the festivities.

554 Central Avenue was hopping on May18th!

The shop was full of bikes and Revolve staff were on hand to talk to anyone who was interested.

Outside, everyone enjoyed Spin! Neopolitan Pizza and cool drinks while the outstanding music of Trio Aztlan filled the air.

Mayor Holland arrived at the Grand Opening on his bicycle and shared a proclamation declaring May as "Bike Month" in Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas.

Trio Aztlan provided spectacular music
in the lot next to the shop.

RevolveKCK is a tremendous addition to Central Avenue and Kansas City, Kansas. This non-profit organization operates on the belief that, "...the bicycle is the simple solution for healthy lifestyles and affordable, earth-friendly transportation."

Learn more about them by visiting their web site, checking out their Facebook page or reading my earlier blog post.

Plenty of bikes are available at RevolveKCK.
Some are available through the Earn-a-Bike program...

...and some are available for purchase.

Here's the proclamation that declares May as "Bike Month".
Click the image to enlarge it
if you'd like to read the whole proclamation.

~ Brian

bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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