Charitable Involvement

  • President-elect for Ambassadors Program for Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
  • Co-chair Advisory Council for St. Luke’s Muriel I. Kauffman Women’s Heart Center
  • Board of Governors for Children’s Miracle Network (CMN)
    • CMN telethon for more than 5 years
    • Coordination of CMN Children’s choir and recording of a CD in which all the proceeds from the sale of the CD directly benefited our two local CMN hospitals: Children’s Mercy and KU Children’s Center
  • Board of Directors for the Gift of Life Foundation since 1999 – helps raise awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation.
  • Board of Directors for the Shadow Buddies Foundation since 1995 – provides "condition-specific" dolls to chronically ill children throughout the world.
  • Advisory Board of the Breast Cancer Prevention Center at KU Medical Center
  • Former Board of Director for several other charitable organizations such as the Greater Kansas City chapter of the American Red Cross. During my two terms as board member of the Red Cross, I spearheaded the idea of the Red Cross’ Safety Brigade on Wheels. This program takes the Red Cross youth programs on the road to local schools, churches and youth organizations.
  • Involvement in several area charitable events and projects, such as:
    • "Caps for Kids" (an organization that provides autographed caps for kids with cancer)
    • Children’s Mercy Hospital’s Kick Program (Kansas City injury coalition for kids)
    • Heartsafe Community Campaign – movement to get defibrillators in all public places throughout the Kansas City Metropolitan Area through the Mid-America Heart Institute and St. Luke’s Hospital
    • Appointed as Co-Chair for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Holiday Homes Tour in 2008 which benefited MOCSA, Child Protection Center and Sheffield Place.
    • Appointed as Media Chairperson for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Holiday Homes Tour in 2005 which benefited Operation Breakthrough and Heartstrings Foundation
    • Appointed as Chairperson of the American Heart Association’s "Go Red for Women" heart luncheon to take place in May 2005
    • Appointed to Executive Committee of the American Heart Association’s "Go Red for Women" heart luncheon to take place in April 2009.
    • Community Relations and Development Board Committee for the Mental Health Association of the Heartland.
    • Started the Buddy Checks Program in 1994, in collaboration with the American Cancer Society and Health Midwest, now HCA. Buddy Checks is aimed at educating women about the importance of self breast exams in the fight against breast cancer. Pick a buddy. On the 5th day of the month, call your buddy and remind her to do a self breast exam.
    • Spearheaded the first "City at Peace Rally" at the Liberty Memorial in the summer of 1992. This movement grew to an all-day Festival in 1993. People from all walks of life formed a human heart to symbolize a unified effort through the metro area to work towards a city at peace. Not only w as the community response overwhelming, but I also received a letter of congratulations and encouragement from First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton for my efforts.
    • Call and Pump
      • I am currently spearheading a metropolitan wide effort to educate the public about a new lifesaving technique called "CALL and PUMP". CALL AND PUMP is a simplified version of traditional CPR that is easy to learn and 1 and start PUMPING on the chest (continuous chest compression-only CPR) until someone can bring an AED (automatic external defibrillator) to the victim and shock him/her back to life. (See attached information sheet on CALL and PUMP)
      • To educate the community I have produced an educational video that explains in detail what CALL and PUMP is and how it is effective in saving someone’s life in the event of a cardiac emergency and a 4-minute training video that gives step-by-step instruction on how to do CALL and PUMP In Sept, 2004, I introduced CALL and PUMP to the HEARTSAFE CAMPAIGN at St. Luke’s Mid-America Heart Institute and they have incorporated CALL and PUMP in it’s KID’S SAVING LIVES program which instructs elementary school children (4th, 5th, 6th graders) how to do CALL and PUMP and use the AED’s if they witness someone collapse from a cardiac arrest.
      • In 2005 the efforts to unveil CALL and PUMP in the Kansas City community evolved into a medical symposium for area EMT’s and emergency medical physicians co-sponsored by Anne Peterson Productions, the Heartsafe Campaign and KCMO Health Dept.
      • I also produced a video that is currently being shown at KCI airport called "OPERATION HEARTSAFE" that instructs travelers how to do CALL and PUMP and use the AED’s if they witness someone collapse from an apparent cardiac event. (SEE the News Release from KCI Airport regarding "OPERATION HEARTSAFE").
      • In 2006, KSHB TV 41 NBC Action News has agreed to embrace CALL and PUMP in a comprehensive community service campaign. I will serve as the spokesperson for that campaign that will include a series of PSA’s, news reports, half hour special and a community wide event to educate the public on how to do CALL and PUMP similar to Ewing Kauffman’s CPR NOW program.
    • Video Production for Charitable Organizations – Since the formation of my production company in 2003, I have produced several videos to help further the mission of local charitable organizations as an in-kind donation. Here is a listing of those organizations:
      • FOCUS ON INDEPENDENCE a non-profit organization developed by Dr. Dan Durrie to provide refractive eye surgery to patients who are unable to use their arms. My video profiled patients who have gained independence with their sight thanks to Dr. Durrie and his team.
      • GIFT OF LIFE FOUNDATION
      • SHADOW BUDDIES FOUNDATION
      • AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION’S "GO RED FOR WOMEN" HEART LUNCHEON
      • 54TH ANNUAL KAPPA KAPPA GAMMA HOLIDAY HOMES TOUR BENEFITING OPERATION BREAKTHROUGH AND HEARTSTRINGS FOUNDATION