Thank YOU for making the Community Birthday Bash a Success!
Wow! What a party!
Thanks to all who participated and supported the Swope Health 50th Birthday Bash on July 27.
“This celebration was an act of love for the community,” said Dave Barber, Swope Health President and CEO (after he dried off from his many submersions in the dunk tank). “I am so proud of, and grateful to, all of our associates for embracing this mission. Thank you for a job well done in serving our community for 50 years.”
It was an amazing event with an estimated 700 people participating, including State Rep. Kiki Curls and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. The Mayor accepted an impromptu invitation to participate in the dunk tank and, in a show of good sportsmanship, offered high fives of congratulations to the kids who threw accurate pitches to dunk him.
The day started with a prayer from the Rev. Wallace S. Hartsfield Sr., the retired pastor of Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, followed by a performance from the Anointed Praise Ministry of the Swope Parkway United Christian Church.
The event featured a diverse entertainment lineup, with cultural performances from the Ethnic Enrichment Festival, the KC Marching Falcons, a line dancing led by De Barker and a fashion show featuring Swope Health associates in styles from the 1970s. Our emcee and DJ kept the audience moving, too.
There was a carnival (staffed by volunteers from the Urban Ranger Corps) with games of skill and chance, a hands-on craft area, face painting, a caricaturist, balloon artist and selfie-station photo booth. A stiltwalker and juggler on a unicycle roamed the event, delighting visitors with their skills.
Vendors offered a wide variety of crafts, artwork, jewelry and gift items. Food trucks supplied sandwiches and shaved ice to supplement the popcorn, cotton candy, cupcakes and cookies available throughout the day. For those seeking refuge from the heat, a Resiliency Room was home to chair massages, aromatherapy herbs and oils, and stations for mindfulness activities or simply taking a break.
Kids flocked to see and pet the horses from the Kansas City Police Department mounted patrol and peek inside the Kansas City Fire Department’s pumper truck.
Near the end of the event, after a rousing drum and drill team performance, the KC Marching Falcons led the party with a “Happy Birthday” chorus.
Whew! It was a full and a fun day, and a fitting way to cap off 50 years of service.
There is Still Time… Swope Health Golf Tournament
Next up in our series of 50th anniversary events is the Swope Health Golf Tournament on September 16 to raise funds for the Patients in Need fund. You still have time to get a team together or sign up as an individual for 18 holes at Hillcrest Golf Club.
The celebration opened with a prayer offered by the Rev. Wallace Hartsfield Sr., who served as the spiritual leader at the Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church for more than 40 years. Rev. Harsfield Sr. is a prominent and tireless leader in advocating for justice and civil rights. His son, the Rev. Wallace Hartsfield III, behind him, is now pastor of Metropolitan Missionary.
Kids clamored to greet and pet the horses of the Kansas City Police Department mounted patrol.
Swope Health President and CEO Dave Barber is about to get submerged in the dunk tank, which raised money for the Patients in Need fund.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas met with participants before he decided to offer himself as a target for the dunk tank.
Splash! Action video of the Mayor in the dunk tank at the Swope Health 50th Birthday Bash.
The stilt-walker towered over the event.
The KC Marching Falcons performed high-energy routines with rousing drums.
Congratulations and thank you Swope Health for serving our community for 50 years! The Birthday Bash had something for everyone: food, booths, prayer, games, entertainment and more.
Perhaps embedded in the KC Marching Falcons is a future generation of Swope employees. For the next 50 years, you’ll need the kind of energy they bring.
Our best. Bellewether, Ltd.