Fred Ball was pleased to announce plans for a 40,000-square-foot Family Resource Center during the recent Ball’s 20th Annual Charity Golf Tournament. The resource center has been three years in the planning and is another part of Kaw Valley Center’s continuous support of children and families in the Kansas City metro area. The center is designed to service the educational, mental and health needs of families.

When B. Wayne Sims, president and CEO of KVC, took over the reins in 1980, the Balls were eager to give him their full support. JoAnn Ball stepped in in the mid-1980s to co-chair the first two capital campaigns. “We’ve been a big supporter of Wayne Sims,” says Fred Ball. With degrees in social services and clinical psychology, Sims is the premier individual in the field of taking care of children and families, Ball adds.

When the Balls’ charity golf tournament started out 20 years ago, it was on a very small level, according to Ball. As KVC grew, however, the tournament grew along with it. “We started out to help families in need, and Kaw Valley has worked right in for our cause. Last year we raised $300,000,” says Ball.

About $4.5 million has been raised for the Family Resource Center, $1 million short of the goal. An agreement on the site has already been squared away with the center headed for the Olathe Medical Center campus.

One of the big focuses for the center is the recruiting, retention and training of foster families, says Ball. “There’s a big need in Johnson County for such a facility and Sims has to get the credit for putting together this program.”

Sims admires the Balls equally, crediting them with being instrumental in the growth of KVC and never losing sight of the importance of their community.