10/19/2026
💙 Celebrating the HEART of CASA — Our Amazing Volunteers! 💙
What an incredible evening celebrating some truly incredible people! ❤️
Our 2026 Volunteer Appreciation Celebration was filled with laughter, friendship, heartfelt moments, and most importantly, GRATITUDE for the wonderful individuals who give so much of themselves to make a difference in the lives of children and families throughout Leavenworth and Atchison Counties.
We had the privilege of recognizing so many dedicated volunteers, including several very special award recipients!
🌟 2026 Volunteer of the Year – Leah Foster
In just one year, Leah has made an incredible impact through her dedication to supervising visits at our Child Exchange and Visitation Center. Her compassion, dependability, and willingness to jump in wherever needed are exactly what makes our volunteers so special! A special thank-you to **Judge Lowdon** for presenting this well-deserved award.
❤️ Community Heart Award – Mark Denney
We were thrilled to honor Mark for his generosity, kindness, and unwavering support of our organization and the children and families we serve. Mark truly embodies what it means to have a heart for your community!
💙 Detective Corporal Daniel Abramovitz Memorial Award – Sgt. Willie Banks
We were proud to recognize Sgt. Banks of the Lansing Police Department for his dedication to protecting children and serving our community. This meaningful award also honors the memory and legacy of Detective Corporal Daniel Abramovitz.
🍂 Volunteers of the Season
Congratulations to our wonderful seasonal honorees!
🌷 Spring – Leah Foster
☀️ Summer – Laurie Stitzer
🍁 Fall – Micah Bray
❄️ Winter – Mary Kay
🌟 Lifesaver Awards
We also recognized several extraordinary individuals whose willingness to step up, help others, and go the extra mile makes such a difference!
Congratulations to Susan Hoins, Raynetta Elliott, Kelly Butler, Laurie Stitzer, and Rochelle Markowitz!
👏 Stuck With It Awards
A special congratulations to Anne Johnson and Raynetta Elliott, recognized for their perseverance and dedication!
And of course, we celebrated many other volunteers with certificates of appreciation for the countless ways they support our CASA, Child Exchange and Visitation Center, and Child Advocacy Center programs.
We also extend a special thank-you to Judge Henderson for joining us as our guest speaker and sharing in this special evening of appreciation.
❤️ To ALL of our volunteers — this evening was about YOU!
You give your time when you could be doing a hundred other things. You show compassion when someone needs it most. You advocate for children who deserve to be heard. You create safe spaces, offer encouragement, and bring hope to families during some of their most difficult days.
You may never know just how much a simple act of kindness, a few hours of your time, or simply showing up can change someone's life.
But we see you. We appreciate you. And we are so incredibly grateful for each and every one of you!
📸 A HUGE thank-you to our CASA Board President, Micah Bray, for capturing these beautiful photos and giving us such wonderful memories of the evening!
Thank you to everyone who helped make this celebration possible and to all who joined us. What a blessing it is to be surrounded by people who care so deeply about making a difference!
Our volunteers are the heart of our organization, and we simply couldn't do what we do without you! 💙
Protecting children today for stronger families tomorrow.
