By: Angela Ross, KCH Content Specialist
Published: Oct 20, 2022

Attending Sunday Night Live (SNL) virtually in 2021 was an awesome experience but nothing could have prepared me for the in-person SNL experience of 2022. This year Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care’s annual signature fundraising event, Sunday Night Live, was held on Sunday, October 2 at the KC Live! Block in the Power & Light District. This was the first time in three years that we were able to host this event in-person due to the pandemic. The day brought with it so many wonderful surprises including warm weather and, once you entered the event, a lively upbeat vibe, contemporary fun scenery, and lots of friendly faces who were eager to assist in making this year’s SNL experience like no other. Including myself, who had the opportunity to attend SNL as a staff member to take photos of the event and capture the unforgettable moments the day would bring.

The event began with an artist by the name of Paul Eade who created A Night to Remember Painting on stage which depicted the beautiful Plaza fountain and would be auctioned off live during the SNL event. There was so much for guests to do including a silent auction, games and stations full of a variety of food. The music performed by Mark Lowery was soulful and soothing and added to the entertainment and upbeat vibe of the event. The Live Auction that occurred toward the end of night with auctioneer Trisha Brauer was an experience like no other especially for a first-time live auction attendee like myself. The guests who participated were so excited to donate to Kansas City Hospice and you could feel the energy as their paddles raised in the air in support of our cause. The event was filled with special guests including surprise guest KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas and fashion icon Shelly Legler who modeled her amazing finds from Story Boutique.

The highlight of the event was the Champions of Care video that played prior to the Fund A Need which showed the impact that Kansas City Hospice has on our community and how your support changes the lives of the patients and families we serve. During this video, we heard many stories including that of Rachel Moore who received KCH services and had one wish: to take her daughter’s prom pictures. The KCH medical team worked with Rachel to make sure her wish was made possible.

“I would say [Kansas City Hospice] are champions of my mother’s care because they immediately started to make her feel good and not only did they help her physically but I think they really did help her mentally,” explained Erin Moore, Rachel’s Daughter. “Along with that they really took the burden off my dad and once she did get moved to the [Kansas City] Hospice House it was a weight that seemed to be lifted off of his shoulders because they just completely took over so we could focus on being there with her instead of being there to take care of her. If you’re in a position where you need hospice care just trust it and trust them because they know what they are doing.”

Proceeds from Sunday Night Live support families like the Moore family and help fund the critical work of Kansas City Hospice, which supports families who need end-of-life care, grief support, mental health therapy, and so much more. This care would not be made possible without YOU—our compassionate and generous community of supporters who partner with us to make it possible for our staff to go above and beyond the basics to provide the best care possible.

Thank you to everyone who supported this year’s Sunday Night Live! It was a record breaking year as your generosity helped us raise more than $635,000 to help patients and families served by Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care each and every day. We look forward to seeing you at next year’s SNL event as it will be a celebration to remember!