The community is invited to join together on Jan. 24 to recognize outstanding character and hear from kid keynote speaker Olivia Van Ledtje at the 16th annual Mayor’s Character Breakfast. Tickets for the popular local event are $20 and available at LSCARES.org.
The breakfast will be from 7 to 9 a.m. at the Pavilion at John Knox Village, 520 NW Murray Road. The Mayor’s Character Breakfast traditionally includes a sellout crowd of close to 700 attendees. Those attending are asked to purchase tickets by Jan. 11.
This year’s keynote presenter has gained worldwide recognition for her speeches, her podcast and @TheLivBits social media accounts. Ledtje’s work on LivBits has been featured all over the world, including conferences in Taiwan, Singapore and England. She served as keynote speaker at the Digital Citizenship Summit at Twitter Headquarters and was the youngest keynote speaker at Alan November’s 2017 International Building Learning Communities Conference in Boston.
Ledtje was honored at Google Headquarters in San Francisco with a Digital Rockstar Award as well as a #Digital4Good award for her work on LivBits. She recently launched a podcast, “The KidLitShow,” produced by Panoply in New York City and featured in the Pinna app.
In addition to the keynote address, the Character Breakfast will include a message from Lee’s Summit Mayor Bill Baird and presentation of Lee’s Summit CARES annual character awards. These include the Ethics in Business Award and Lifetime Achievement Award as well as 11 Reflections of Character Awards based on positive character traits.
“The awards honor everyday citizens who do amazing things in our community and inspire all of us,” said Rachel Segobia, Lee’s Summit CARES director. “The Mayor’s Character Breakfast provides us with the perfect opportunity to recognize these everyday heroes and celebrate our Community of Character.”
The 2018 winner of the Ethics in Business Award is Cartridge World of Lee’s Summit. The Lifetime Achievement Award winner will be announced closer to the Jan. 24 breakfast. Reflections of Character Award winners being honored at the event include Aubrey Newell, Family category; Brianne Orr, Cooperation; Ivette Salgado, Kindness; Josh Haddad, Perseverance; Alex Anderson, Sportsmanship; Sariah Fouladi, Respect; Jo Pickert, Honesty; the John Knox Village Hobby Hut volunteers, Generosity; Morgan McGurk, Respect; Justin Hamilton and Craig Lingholm, Courage; and Scott Wright, Appreciation.
The Mayor’s Character Breakfast is presented by Lee’s Summit CARES with support from Saint Luke’s East Hospital and Flooring and More.
Lee’s Summit CARES is a community coalition dedicated to preventing youth substance use and violence, promoting exemplary character and empowering positive parenting. For learn more, visit . You may also follow Lee’s Summit CARES on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
