KCKidsFun

RED Development’s Duck Derby benefitting Children’s TLC will take place this SUNDAY–June 27, 2010 on the Country Club Plaza’s Brush Creek.  The fun begins at 11:00 am and will include food vendors, a Kids Zone with inflatables, face and hair painting, performances by Funky Mama and the JoCo All Star Band, and much, much more. There will also be a special performance by the Jewish Community Center Theater as they showcase excerpts from their summer production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

What is Duck Derby, you might ask?  Imagine tens of thousands of rubber ducks floating down Brush Creek–all for a good cause!  The ducks are individually numbered and “adopted” with lots of cool prizes up for grabs. Prizes include Justin Bieber concert tickets, KC Hopps dining packages, original art by Mike Savage and numerous tickets to KC sporting and cultural events.  The “duck drop” is a sight your family won’t soon forget–they are dropped from a net suspended from a crane!

A duck adoption will cost you only $5, with online adoptions closing at midnight Saturday!  New this year is the option to adopt at area KC Hopps restaurants.  These include:  75th Street Brewery, Barley’s Brewhaus, 810 Zone, O’Dowd’s Little Dublin, Blue Moose Bar & Grill, Los Cabos and Wild Bill’s Legendary Steakhouse and Saloon.

A great afternoon on the Plaza for a great cause–the kids at our city’s own Children’s TLC preschool. Kate and I love this organization and wish everyone the best on Sunday!  Good luck.

You long-time readers know by now that there are two organizations which are especially near and dear to our hearts–Children’s Therapeutic Learning Center (CTLC) and Asthma & Allergy Foundation, Greater Kansas City chapter (AAFA).

Both help Kansas Citians–from all walks of life–in extraordinary ways.  I wanted to let you all know what AAFA has been up to and provide some contact information in case you or someone you know needs some help!  AAFA recently hosted its annual SuperKids Asthma Camp, and it was bigger and better than ever.  The day camp is for kids, diagnosed with asthma and allergies, entering 2nd through 7th grades, and it lasts one week.  In addition to being tons of fun for the kids, they are in a medically supervised environment and leave the camp feeling empowered and educated about how to take charge of their health.  The SuperKids spent some time at Kaufmann Stadium and also with Brett Anthony, meteorologist on NBC Action News.

AAFA’s yearly fundraiser is fast approaching!  Saturday, October 17, 2009, the Overland Park Sheraton will be transformed into “A Night in Monte Carlo”–featuring dinner, a lively casino party and an auction.  Tickets are still available!  Call Executive Director, Melissa Ford, at 816.333.6608 for details.

Looking forward, in March 2010, AAFA hosts its annual Family Asthma & Allergy Education Day. This is a fabulous interactive opportunity for local families and individuals alike to learn more about asthma and allergies.  This is the 15th year for the program…so you know it’s good!

We are proud to be one of  AAFA’s community partners and encourage you to check them out–and even volunteer!

Here in our school district, school starts next week! I’m not exactly sure where the summer went. But we’ve got to rally and get into back-to-school mode around here. Earlier bedtimes, stricter schedules, homework, backpacks and school supplies.

We bought our school supplies through the school PTA this year but many families are trekking to Target, WalMart, USToy and the Dime Store this week to gather their pencils, markers, notebooks and lunch boxes. Other families won’t have that luxury. But we can help.

This year, SAFEHOME (an amazing service provider for families affected by domestic violence) anticipates providing hundreds of children with school supplies during SAFEHOME’s annual back-to-school shopping night. Their shelves are pretty bare. Donations or gift cards to purchase school supplies are greatly appreciated.

If you are interested in donating any of the items on today’s Immediate Needs List, please contact SAFEHOME’s Administration Line at 913-432-9300 to schedule a time to drop off your donation. Gift cards and gift card receipts can be mailed to SAFEHOME, P.O. Box 4563, Overland Park, KS, 66204.

Here’s what they need ASAP:

Crayola Crayons (16 & 24 count)
Assorted Colored Pencils
Felt Tip Markers (water soluble)
Dry Erase Markers
Sharpies
Elmer’s or Ross Glue (8oz. & 12 oz. bottles)
Glue Sticks
Erasers
No. 2 Pencils
Pencil Boxes
Ball-point Pens (blue or black ink)
Scissors
Rulers
Protractors
Kleenex
Crayola or Prang Water Colors (Oval 8)
Wide-line Spiral Notebook
Loose Leaf Notebook Paper (3 hole punched)
Pocket Folders
Note Cards
Note Cards Dividers
Hand Sanitizer
Baby Wipes (Non-alcohol)
Back Packs
New Tennis Shoes (All sizes for Boys and Girls)
Graphing Calculators
Paint Shirts

If you are interested in helping SAFEHOME’s kids in other ways, please take a look at their Amazon WishList for items needed for their children’s center. Another fantastic Kansas City community resource with an Amazon WishList is Children’s TLC (find their WishList here).

Buy something for SAFEHOME or Children’s TLC from the WishLists and your hand-picked donation will be shipped directly to those organizations and put into immediate use for the kids. It couldn’t be any easier!

So, this back-to-school season, take care of your kids and then help out a few more while you’re at it!