A brilliant young girl helps inspire a new generation Seated at the head table in the Kauffman Foundation’s conference center, 17-year-old Hope Corwin finally understood her Christmas gift. There she was, one of 209 high school girls at the Hope Summit, listening to superstar scientists, mathematicians, engineers and entrepreneurs. All the speakers were women. Women […]
Top chefs prepare meal for a young foodie weathering a lifetime of illness They wanted to create a magical meal he and his family would remember. On Christmas Eve, four of Kansas City’s finest chefs gathered in a secret underground Elf Testing Kitchen in the Crossroads. It was a special Christmas present for 20-year-old foodie
The “Christmas Carol” Dinner Read More »
All a nine-year-old boy suffering from cancer wanted for Christmas was snow When the chemo started and nurses told 9-year-old Mason Kempf to think of something happy, he thought about snow. Even though the outside breezes were soft and warm and the tree’s leaves green as he lay this summer in the hospital bed at
A girl who is passionate about the law sees it from a unique perspective Three things the Parkville teenager noticed at the U.S. Supreme Court: Sonia Sotomayor loves to drink coffee. Keeps two silver Thermoses at her elbow. She and the other justices are not stoic, godlike figures. They are real people who rock their
Justice Sotomayor, Elves, and You Read More »
Two inseparable girls find each other on Christmas Eve Just a day after Thanksgiving and they already were back at Children’s Mercy Hospital. When she heard the doctors tell them that her 13-year-old daughter would probably have to spend Christmas there, too, Stephanie Parker sighed. This would be Shaneil’s second Christmas in the hospital since
Christmas Outside the Box Read More »
Kirk and Barbara Johnson were never ones to take friends for granted, so they weren’t surprised when friends rallied round following Kirk’s diagnosis of colon cancer. Kirk was just 41 years old in 2006. He had a successful remodeling business, and he and Barbara were active in the lives of their four children and other
A country boy living in the city needs the right kind of wheels Why are there Elves at Christmas? “Because the whole world is broken when someone close to you has cancer,” said Kim, a former recipient-turned member of the anonymous organization known as The Elves of Christmas Present. “It really makes you understand that
“That’s Sooo… Sam” Read More »
A little boy gets a “train set” for Christmas and gets to relive his favorite movie For several days, the cold had put a choke hold on the train’s pipes. No bathrooms, no showers, no laundry. And this train couldn’t stop for repairs. The 19 volunteers aboard were quickly changing from cheery elves to stinky
A young history buff finds she’s front-page news in the 22nd century Midmorning Christmas Eve, two pointy-hatted visitors crunched up the snow-covered driveway of 15-year-old Rachel Hoffmanʼs Olathe home. They thumped on the door. “Are you Rachel?” the bigger one asked. Rachel nodded. “Merry Christmas.” The pair pressed a letter into her hands, turned back
A proud man and his family get a Christmas to remember The second thing Charlie Brison thought about, when his doctors diagnosed his lung cancer, was the list of repairs he needed to do for his family, before… The ultimate “honey-do” list, by a dad with a deadline. For Kalli, his 17-year-old daughter, he needed
The “Honey-Do” List Read More »
Receive inspiring stories, news and updates delivered free right to your inbox.
We value your privacy and will not share your personal information.
