Hey there, friends!
June is here, and we’re excited to bring you a fresh new edition full of hope, healing, and community spirit! This month, we’re coming together to honor a powerful legacy in suicide prevention and mental health awareness through the Shifting Gears for Regan Passport Cruise. Plus, there’s a heartwarming recipe from a lifelong Miami County family that’s sure to bring smiles around your kitchen table.
| It’s Tammy Booe here, your Executive Director at MICOCF. If we haven’t met yet, I’d love for you to check out this article that shares a little more about me and my journey to MICOCF. I’m so excited to get to know you all better and continue making a difference together!  |
| Before we move on, I’d love to invite you to join the MICOCF family online. Follow us to share your thoughts, ideas, and be part of our growing community. Facebook Linkedin Now you can get our newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! Just head to our website and look for the email box in the lower right corner. Click on it, fill in your information, and you’ll be added to our distribution list. I can’t wait to connect with you! |
Let’s spread the Love 💖
Since stepping into this role, I’ve been blown away by the kindness and generosity of Miami County.
Y’all are amazing. This community is built on people who truly care, and that’s something worth celebrating.
Whether it’s a fun event, a great cause, or just a moment to connect, I want to make sure you have every opportunity to be part of the magic happening right here in our hometowns.
June Event You Won’t Want to Miss 📅
| Shifting Gears for Regan: Cruising Toward AwarenessJoin us in honoring the life of Regan Johnson and helping prevent teen suicide |
| On December 7, 2017, every parent’s worst nightmare became reality for the Wilson and Johnson families when they lost their daughter Regan to suicide. Regan, a vibrant redhead with a passion for racing, left behind a heartbroken family who turned their grief into a mission. They created Shifting Gears for Regan, a nonprofit initiative focused on suicide prevention and mental health education. |
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| 🌟 What Is Shifting Gears?Founded in 2018, Shifting Gears is a fund under the Miami County Community Foundation, with a singular purpose: to raise awareness about teen suicide and support those left behind. Since its inception, the organization has reached over 18,000 students in the Miami County Area with its #GiveMe20 suicide prevention workshops helping teens recognize their value and purpose. They also support grief-focused programs like SOS (a strengths-based mental health model), and have established Butterfly Gardens in local parks as lasting symbols of hope and healing. |
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| 🎟️ Mark Your Calendar: 2025 Passport Cruise 📅 Date: Saturday, June 21 📍Location: Across 10 scenic destinations in and around Miami County, Kansas 🎉 Cruise Celebration: This year’s celebration starts at 5:30 PM at Somerset Schoolhouse 🎫 Tickets: Start at $30 → Register now » |
2025 destinations include:
- Kansas City Hope Garden
- Aubrey Vineyard
- Serendipity Farm and Vine
- The Go To
- Timber View Farm Alpacas
- Stonehaven Bison Farm
- Fossil Springs Elderberry Farm & Winery
- Somerset Schoolhouse
At each stop you will find SG volunteers providing information about suicide prevention and awareness, fun drawings, drinks, snacks, games and activities related to the stop.
Volunteers will stamp your passport and when you are ready to move to the next stop, you just move along at your leisure. For each stamp you receive throughout the day you earn a raffle ticket that can be entered into our prize drawings. Drawings will be held at the end of the day at our CRUISE CELEBRATION at Somerset Schoolhouse.
Party runs from 5:30-7:30. Bull Creek BBQ will be offering great eats!
Each ticket helps fund suicide prevention programs for teens and families within Miami County and beyond. Even schools can request programming directly thanks to your donations.
💛 Why We Sponsor
We are proud to be a sponsor of the 2025 Passport Cruise. Every dollar raised supports on-the-ground mental health education and awareness. Whether through workshops in schools or butterfly gardens in parks, your contributions help shift the stigma and offer hope to thousands of families.
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| 💬 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going Teen suicide is a heartbreaking reality, standing as the second leading cause of death among adolescents nationwide. It’s a topic that’s often hard to talk about, but the more we bring it into the light, the more lives we can save. That’s why community, compassion, and proactive education are so vital. Together, we can break down the stigma, open up honest conversations, and offer hope and support to teens and families who need it most. Shifting Gears for Regan was born from profound loss, but it has grown into a powerful movement that carries Regan’s spirit forward. Her race may have ended far too soon, but her legacy is fueling change—one mile walked, one story shared, and one life touched at a time. When we come together as a community, we become part of that hope and healing, showing every young person that they matter and that help is always within reach. |
✨Local Recipe Spotlight✨: Ann Sinclair’s Peanut Butter Blossoms Recipe
👩🍳 Excited to share a delicious recipe from Osawatomie’s very own, Ann Sinclair!
Ann and Glenn Sinclair have lived in Miami County their whole lives. Ann graduated with the Osawatomie High School Class of 1974, while Glenn graduated just a year earlier with the Class of 1973. The couple has called this community home throughout their lives.
They grew up in Osawatomie, got married, and raised their family here, with all four of their boys proudly graduating from the same high school. About 15 years ago, they made the short move to Spring Hill, still nestled within Miami County’s welcoming arms.
This recipe holds a special