bernell rice - Honorary chair

Bernell Rice is the originator of Feed Lee's Summit's predecessor event, Empty Bowls, which was first delivered in 2007. Little did Bernell know how much of an impact his vision would have on the local community. Initially supporting only one nonprofit beneficiary, the event now supports five local organizations that provide food to those who would otherwise go hungry.

Feed Lee's Summit is grateful for Bernell's vision and commitment to those in less fortunate circumstances and is thrilled to have Bernell with us this year as the event surpasses the $1,000,000 mark in money raised to combat hunger in Lee's Summit!

Thank you, Bernell, for your vision in filling empty bowls!

We are delighted to have Megan return to the Feed Lee's Summit Gala as our emcee. Megan's engaging personality and passion for helping is obvious.

Outside of her insurance career, Megan is an active member of both the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club. Additionally, she has showcased her talent and creativity in improv comedy since 1999 with various improv groups in Kansas City. Megan is a proud member of the all-female comedy group Pretty Funny, and has performed at the 2009 and 2010 Chicago Improv Festivals with SPITE.

We are thrilled to welcome, once again, owner and head auctioneer of Taking Bids Fundraising, Trisha Brauer. Trisha holds a Master's degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing and Sales. She is a graduate of World Wide College of Auctioneering and is a member of the National Auction Association (NAA), as well as the state associations for Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, and Missouri.  Currently, Trisha is on the Board of Directors for the state of Kansas and for the National Auction Association. She is an active member of each association and speaks at conferences across the United States.

We are happy to showcase an emerging artist at Feed Lee's Summit! Avery Forton is an abstract artist specializing in acrylic paints and photo fusion. For over three years, he has been diving deep into the world of painting, and for nearly a year, he has been living his dream as a full-time artist. He likes to describe his work as “colorful nonsense,” where vibrant palettes, textures, and abstract forms invite the imagination to roam. Sometimes he sees specific shapes or figures emerge in his work, while other times it’s purely an exploration of color and feeling.

He thrives on the energy of live painting events — from nonprofit fundraisers to realtor gatherings, car shows, and spontaneous sessions in lively spots around the Kansas City area. We are so excited to have Avery showcase his artistry in a live setting at Feed Lee's Summit.

Jazz for Good serves various non-profit organizations in the greater Kansas City area. We provide charitable organizations with quality jazz musicians as a means to enhance their fundraising events.

Jazz for Good is the product of a shared dream of Kansas City jazz musicians who hope to help sustain the city’s tradition of jazz. The idea was first put into motion by Doug Peete, jazz guitarist, who dreamt of seeing the jazz revival be not only here to stay, but also, for doing good. Through the development of the community shared foundation, the commitment of a few initial donors, and the talent of a few world-class jazz artists, Jazz for Good has already begun making its mark on Kansas City jazz. The vision of Jazz for Good is to give back to Kansas City in a way that benefits charitable organizations as well as the Kansas City Jazz tradition. 

"TJ's Toy" is the name of a hot air balloon piloted by Rick Goosey of Pleasant Hill, MO, which has been featured at events like the Balloon Fiesta and the FireLake Fireflight Balloon Fest. The balloon is named after Goosey's children. 

We are grateful to Rick and his team for brining his balloon to Feed Lee's Summit in honor of our "You Raise Me Up" theme.