Fall has officially arrived in Miami County! From our upcoming Match Day celebration to recaps and recipes, September is packed with opportunities to connect, give back, and celebrate our community.
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Check out this month’s spotlight events!
Match Day Celebration 2026: Tickets & Table Sponsorships Open!
Mark your calendars! Match Day is taking place on Saturday, September 26th, 2026. Tickets are selling—we’ve sold 100 seats out of 250… Hurry up before all seats are sold out!
Thanks to our sponsor, the Patterson Family Foundation, if our community raises $200,000, they will match it with an additional $100,000!
Event Details
- 🗓️ Date: Saturday, September 26th, 2026
- 📍 Location: Town Square Events, Paola, KS
- 🍽️ Catering: Delicious local barbecue by Rick Schoenberger of Paola’s BBQ Shack!
What are Dueling Pianos?
This year’s entertainment features high-energy Dueling Pianos provided by Big Time Entertainment, starring Max Cooper (from NBC’s The Voice) and Kevin Coon (featured in Kansas City’s The Pitch magazine). Get ready for an unforgettable night of live musical requests, comedy, and community spirit!
Tickets and tables
- Individual ticket: $40;
- Regular table (8 people per table): $250.
Sponsor a Table!
Looking to showcase your business or host your family and friends? Businesses and families can sponsor a table (8 people per table) for $500!
Sponsors receive:
- 🏷️ Event signage featuring your company logo or family name
- 🍽️ Priority seating to head to the barbecue buffet first
- 📣 Social media shout-outs leading up to the event
Auctions & Entertainment
Get ready to bid on our Silent Auction Baskets and participate in our lively, crowd-favorite Live Dessert Auction!
Register here → https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/PGL6D7H7QBJWN
Reflecting on Our Fall Non-Profit Gathering
What an incredible turnout! 36 people came to represent 20 non-profit organizations from around Miami County.
Our Fall Non-Profit Gathering at Wildwood Outdoor Education Center was a huge success, and it was wonderful to see so many dedicated community leaders collaborating, sharing ideas, and enjoying a fun day of networking and lunch together.
A huge congratulations to Always & Furever Animal Sanctuary: they won our live drawing for a $500 direct donation! We hope you can help many more fur babies and keep being an inspiration to the entire community.
Stomp Out Suicide 5K Walk/Run
Brian and Debbie founded SOS after tragically losing their middle school son, Joshua.
“On March 19, 2010, we lost our beloved son Joshua to suicide. That day changed our lives forever. A part of us left with him—a piece we can never get back. Suicide is now one of the fastest-growing causes of death in the United States. We are committed to changing that.”
Started in 2019, SOS works to equip local schools across Miami and Linn counties with critical suicide prevention training and mental health resources to recognize and respond to challenges early. Grab your walking shoes and step on the trail to support mental health awareness, honor loved ones, and bring our community closer together!
- 🗓️ Date: Saturday, September 12th, 2026
- 📍 Location: Flint Hills Trail, Osawatomie, KS
🔗 Check out how to register here
Local Recipe & Educator Spotlight
Educator Spotlight: Osawatomie & Louisburg Roots
This month, we are delighted to introduce Sydney Wallace, a Speech-Language Pathologist in the Osawatomie School District!
Sydney grew up right here in Osawatomie, where the passion for her work began at home. After seeing the incredible impact speech-language pathologists had on both of her brothers, she fell in love with the field. As Sydney shares, “Helping children learn to communicate is such a rewarding experience.”
When it came time to begin her career, coming back home was a no-brainer. “It was an easy choice to come back and serve the community that had provided so much for me for 18 years,” Sydney recalled. She remembers growing up in a town where your best friends lived down the street, your friends’ parents cheered just as loudly for you at games, and neighbors always stepped up when someone was in need.
Today, Sydney and her family live in Louisburg with their young son. While they recently moved, she says that same warm Miami County spirit followed them, from neighbors stopping to say hello on walks, to supporting local coffee shops and boutiques.
As Sydney put it, “I hope our son is able to grow up feeling the same type of community and can feel proud of his roots!”
We are so lucky to have dedicated educators like Sydney guiding the next generation in our schools!
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos
“This is my favorite recipe because I don’t eat meat. The rest of my family does eat meat, but they love this meatless recipe! It’s a winner over here!”
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil (divided)
- Spices: 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. chili powder, ½ tsp. kosher salt, ¼ tsp. black pepper, ¼ tsp. ground coriander, ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (8 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 3 Tbsp. honey
- 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
- Taco Assembly & Toppings: soft flour or corn tortillas, shredded purple cabbage, diced avocado, sliced green onions, and fresh cilantro.
- Crema: sour cream blended with cilantro, honey, lime juice, salt, pepper, and chili powder.
Directions
- Prepare: preheat oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Make Crema: add sour cream, cilantro, honey, lime juice, salt, pepper, and chili powder to a blender. Pulse until smooth, transfer to a container, and refrigerate.
- Roast Sweet Potatoes: toss diced sweet potatoes with 2 ½ Tbsp. olive oil, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper, coriander, and cayenne. Spread on the baking sheet and roast for 22–25 minutes (stirring halfway through) until tender and caramelized.
- Make Filling: heat remaining 1 ½ Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté minced onion for 5 minutes, then add garlic for 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-low, and stir in black beans and corn.
- Combine & Serve: add the roasted sweet potatoes to the skillet, then stir in honey, lime juice, and cilantro. Spoon into warm tortillas, drizzle with cold crema, add your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
If you don’t know me
I am Tammy Booe, Executive Director of MICOCF. You can read about me in this article. I’m so excited to get to know you all better and continue making a difference together!
Stay Connected with Me and the MICOCF Family
I love getting to know more of you and seeing all the ways we can work together to make Miami County even better. Keep following along, sharing our updates, and letting me know what you want to see in future newsletters! We’re in this together, and I’m so grateful to be on this journey with you.
Have a local talent or small business you’d like to spotlight? Know a hidden gem in Miami County that everyone should visit? Or maybe you have a fall season tip or fun activity you love to do in the County?
Drop us a message, and we might just feature you in our next newsletter or social media!
Sending you all the love,
Tammy Booe
Executive Director, MICOCF
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