A Little Sunshine and Some Soccer

This past Saturday, my dad’s side of the family got together for games and fellowship over in Missouri. What was meant to be a day for indoor activities quickly turned into yard games and sitting on the deck in 80+ degree weather (photos here).

After an afternoon in the sun, we joined COF Training Services and Azura Credit Union at Sporting Park for an evening of MLS. Though the game never really favored the home team, we still had plenty of fun (photos here).

Legislators Share Wins and Challenges at Weekend Coffee

Saturday, the Chamber’s Legislative Action Committee hosted its third Legislative Coffee of the session, showcasing three of our state legislators (photo here). They were able to touch on the progress (or lack thereof) from the session up to this point. With only a week or so left, they’re in the home stretch with plenty left to consider. One of the first points all three agreed on was their dislike of the condensed schedule they are under. They shared that with only 90 days from start to finish, it’s very challenging to get things introduced and across the finish line. But that doesn’t stop them from trying!

At the hour-long coffee, they shared some of their achievements, what fell short of completion, and everything in between. Property taxes, cell phones in schools, and the Kansas Supreme Court judges were all topics of conversation. If you want to watch it back, you can do so on Facebook (link to stream here). I’m appreciative that even with a pedal-to-the-metal timeline each spring, our state legislators take the time out of their Saturday mornings to come and chat with constituents here in Franklin County.

Ottawa Takes the Stage with KC2026

For over a year, the Chamber’s Summer of 2026 Ad Hoc committee has been connecting folks to information, education, and opportunities. We are quickly approaching the highly anticipated summer of 2026—showcasing the 250th anniversary of the USA and Kansas City's role as a host city for games and teams during this World Cup. In that time, Tiffany Evans and I have attended several forums, planning sessions, and webinars hosted by the Kansas City planning group, KC2026. They are the official coordinators of all things World Cup in Kansas City. One way KC2026 has been sharing opportunities is by letting communities in the metro talk about the work they are doing and how they are planning for increased visitors and soccer activity over the summer. We’ve heard from dozens of cities like Lenexa, Lee's Summit, Overland Park, and more—all large communities throughout the metro doing really fun things with community partners. After three or four of these sessions across Kansas and Missouri, KC2026 reached out to the Ottawa Chamber about presenting at their upcoming March gathering. When an opportunity to put a spotlight on our community like this comes around, you can’t say no! So this week, Tiffany and I made our way to Liberty, Missouri, to share what Ottawa/Franklin County is planning this summer (photos here).

Along with our chat about Ottawa, KC2026 brought in healthcare professionals to discuss safety and protection across our region and how they’re working with hospitals to ensure preparedness for the expected population increase in the summer months. We heard an update on transportation for match days and general rides from various communities to the fan fest at the WW1 Memorial. They also touched on viewing rights, event gathering tips, and branding awareness for the tournament.

Finally, we got our chance to shine a light on Ottawa! Tiffany and I touched on the work our community is doing to prepare for the summer of 2026, with collaboration taking place across organizations and event coordinators, all working toward a common goal—help make Ottawa and Franklin County shine this summer. We also touched on a few programs that we’re extremely excited to try and implement. One of those is a community marketing plan that will be pushed out across the region. Utilizing video, audio, and billboard advertising to show off our community, driving visitors from the metro and those from further abroad to our town. We also plan to have a program highlighting our many existing community events through a lanyard/pin collection process. We plan to have 20 different businesses/events/organizations have custom collectable pins made, which can be collected throughout the summer by 500+ participants. These pins can be added to the lanyards they receive when signing up. We hope that when people outside Franklin County participate, it will drive revisits and put a spotlight on the amazing things happening in town this summer and beyond. These two items are byproducts of 12+ organizations coming together to take advantage of the amazing opportunity that is coming our way. Stay tuned for more info as it comes along!

Calling All Vendors

The Chamber’s next annual event is on the calendar and is open to vendors (view that here). This will be the second year under its new name, Treasures in Ottawa, formerly Flea, Junk, and Trunk. June 6 is a great day for some shopping, as Legacy Square will be filled to the brim with vendors of all kinds. Items we’ve come to expect are décor, homemade goods (kitchenware, crochet, clothes, etc.), baked goods or other food items, antiques, plants, 3d prints, artwork, and so much more. If you, a family member, friend, or neighbor sells items and would like to join, we’d love to have them (registration link here). $40 for a space, $60 if you need a bit more room. There’s really nothing off the table, so come as you are. If you don’t know of anyone in particular, but would like to help share the word, give our Facebook event page a share so we can reach as many folks as possible (event page here). We hope Ottawa/Franklin County has thousands of shoppers take part in the festivities at Legacy Square and throughout our fantastic business community. Mark your calendars for June 6!

Standing in the Gap: The Impact of CASA in Our Community

This morning, we had the privilege of learning more about the Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) of the Fourth Judicial District. Director Jaimie Needham oversees this nonprofit, which supports Franklin, Coffey, Osage, and Anderson counties, operating out of the Franklin County Courthouse. Her office can't quite accommodate all 20-30 of us, so we gathered in the historic old courtroom on the third floor. A fitting setting to discuss CASA’s work, as it’s in courtrooms just like this one, where children who have been abused or neglected sit to have their future decided. It was the perfect reminder of why this organization exists: to ensure every child in foster care has a voice in the judicial process and a dedicated advocate assigned to fight for their best interests. With April marking Child Abuse Prevention Month, today’s conversation was especially timely (photos here).

The CASA program plays a crucial role in the child welfare system, ensuring that the voices of abused and neglected children are heard within the judicial process. CASA volunteers who choose to serve are consistent advocates and mentors, standing by children throughout their journey in foster care. With only two paid staff members covering four counties, the program relies on a dedicated network of volunteers who work tirelessly to provide stability and hope for the children they support. By focusing on a small number of cases, each CASA volunteer can build meaningful relationships with the children they serve, gain insight into their unique needs, fears, and aspirations, and advocate effectively on their behalf in court. This means that, even though the child might change living situations and have almost no consistency in their life, CASA ensures they have one person they can always turn to. The impact they have on these children can’t be understated. Jaimie shared reports that show kids with CASA experience fewer placements, less time in foster care, better academics, and higher levels of hope than those who do not have a volunteer advocate.

Jamie, who recently marked her third year as Director, has made a significant impact, expanding CASA’s reach and finding new ways to engage more people in this work. Her consistency and leadership have really taken the organization to unprecedented heights. About one year ago, she expanded her staff, enabling them to reach more people in their four-county district and, ultimately, help more kids. When Jamie started in this role, 4 children were being supported through CASA volunteers. As of today, they have 26! What a testament to the growth, partnerships, and education that have taken place in these last three years. That increase has occurred because more volunteers have chosen to step up to the call to service. Volunteering is a process that not only benefits the child’s life but also leaves a lasting impact on the advocate as well.

There are a couple of ways that community members and organizations can support Jamie, Kate, and the CASA of the Fourth Judicial District.

The first is to consider volunteering. As Jamie put it, it’s a hard job, and not one that should be sugarcoated. But there are so many kids waiting for someone to connect with them here in Franklin County, and there are not nearly enough volunteers at the moment. So if this speaks to you, reach out to Jamie ASAP!
Second, is to financially support their organization. They do receive support from the four county governments they serve, but this is only a portion of the expenses needed to operate. The rest of their funding comes from individual and commercial giving and grants. One fun way they’ve opened the door to donations is by purchasing a pinwheel bouquet in the month of April. Pinwheels are the national symbol for child abuse prevention. In each bouquet, there are seven pinwheels, three blue and one rainbow colored. This represents the national statistic that 1 in 7 children experience abuse or neglect. A sad but true fact in Franklin County, too.

Even if you are not able to give of your time as a volunteer or your treasure as a financial contributor, spreading the word about this impactful organization is a way to support their cause. Not understanding the need is one of the biggest obstacles in their way, and each one of us can start a conversation about the impact that CASA has on the most vulnerable in our community (check out their website here).

Have a good rest of your Friday!

Ryland Miller

President/CEO

Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce

ryland@ottawakansas.org

785-242-1000