Kansas City

The Turner Wears Yellow Live Strong Day event in Kansas City was amazing. The program was a “feel good” community grassroots event that took place at the Turner Recreation Center which is the real hub of the Turner school district and neighborhood.

The day and program was put together by Camellia White, the activities coordinator for the rec center. The inspiration for the event was Camellia’s father, Jerry Houchins, a cancer survivor and minister who told an amazing survival story and also refers to himself as a “overcomer.” His story quickly caught on in the turner community and the day became an event of hope and strength for many turner residents with over 100 attendees.

There were also several very talented singers that performed for the audience who could be serious contenders for American Idol and come to find out one of the show’s current contestant’s is from that area. Their voices and songs brought the house down. To add to the diversity of the program the turner inspiration dancers performed to Maybe Tonight Maybe Tomorrow, the KRC karate school demonstrated their skills to highlight the importance of inner strength as related to good health, and a turner teacher spoke paying tribute to awareness created by the event and honored her mother who is also a cancer survivor.

The grand finale of the event was a release of yellow balloons in front of the turner recreation center and a vow to do this again next year. Thanks to the turner community for truly making a difference and joining in the cancer fight!