Mt. Hope Cemetery will hold a Sip & Stroll event featuring wine and history at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 18.
Participants will be able to sample local wines while listening to historical Brad Belk share stories of the history and famous figures of Mt. Hope Cemetery.
Tickets are $20. Call (417) 673-1590.
Webb City has been selected to host the Special Olympics Missouri Southwest Area Track Meet on Tuesday, April 28, at Cardinal Stadium.
The event will bring together approximately 450 Special Olympics athletes from throughout southwest Missouri for a full day of track and field competition.
Scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m., the meet will feature events including sprints, distance runs, field events, and opening ceremonies. Teams from schools and organizations such as Webb City Schools, Carthage, Neosho, McDonald County, Nevada, Seneca and Osceola, as well as others, are expected to participate.
“Hosting a meet of this size requires broad community support, and we will actively be reaching out to local businesses and organizations to step up as volunteers,” said Lori Cole, the meet coordinator. For more information, send her an email at lcole@wcr7.org.
Sky Kings, the remote-contol airplane club, invites spectators to attend their annual Fall Fun-Fly and Swap Meet Saturday, April 18.
Club members and guests will begin flying at 9 a.m. and continue until sunset, as weather permits.
There’s no admission charge for spectators. Chairs, hats and maybe umbrellas are recommended.
The Sky Kings airfield is east of East Street on Sharon Drive.
Charlie 22 Outdoors has scheduled the Bob Johnson Memorial Car Show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 13, on its parking lot at 115 N. Madison St.
The event honors Bob Johnson, a retired U.S. Army veteran.
Registration will cost $20, discounted to $15 for pre-registration. Judges will pick the top 22 cars and best in show. There will be goodie bags, food trucks and a 50/50 raffle. All proceeds will go to Charlie 22 Outdoors.
The application period for applications to receive grants from the W.R. Corley Memorial Trust has opened and will be due on May 4.
Grants are available for qualified non-profit organizations, including those providing services to the homeless and low-income populations in Jasper and Newton counties.
This is the seventh year that the Corley Grants have been available.
“Bob Corley was a small business owner in Joplin, and had a philanthropic heart,” said Chuck Brown, senior vice president and trust officer at Southwest Missouri Bank, the trustee. “He would be very pleased to see that his legacy is having an impact on the communities where he made his home. He was very generous during his lifetime, and that generosity continues, as Bob’s legacy is remembered and his philanthropy is celebrated by the annual grants made by his trust.”
Since Corley’s passing, the trust has distributed approximately $1. 3 million to dozens of public charities providing vital services in Jasper and Newton counties, in addition to the continuation of Corley’s gifts to causes he supported during his life.
“We have many non-profits in Jasper and Newton Counties that help the homeless and disadvantaged in our area,” said Brown. “Mr. Corley’s desire was that his generosity would make a difference right here, for generations of his neighbors.”
Applications may be made by sending an email message to trust@smbonline.com.
After the grant application period ends on May 4, submissions will be reviewed by a distribution committee and recipients of this year’s grants will be invited to a check presentation and reception on June.
Those who are passionate about helping others—and ready to be part of long-term, systemic solutions—are invited to attend the Thrive Joplin Summit on April 16.
Hosted by One Joplin, the Summit will bring together community members from or serving Joplin, Webb City, Carterville, and Carl Junction who want to help shape lasting improvements in community health and well-being.
The event is part of the Thrive Joplin Project, a four-year, community-driven initiative focused on identifying barriers to health and well-being and on developing practical, lasting solutions that strengthen the region in the long term.
Organizers are specifically encouraging participation from schools, faith organizations, nonprofits, civic groups, and local businesses—as well as community members who may not hold formal roles but are motivated to make a difference in our region.
“The heart of the Thrive Joplin Project is to build collaborative momentum focused on helping families in the region thrive. In the Joplin region, there are over 2,600 businesses, 330 religious organizations, 1,100 nonprofit and civic organizations, as well as many K-12 and higher education providers. Working together, we can address and remove barriers to health, nutrition, housing, social connection, mental health, and substance use. When families are able to overcome these barriers, we create a community where individuals of all ages – children, adults, seniors – can thrive rather than just survive,” said Nicole Brown, executive director of One Joplin. “We need both those who are doing the work every day and those who want to be part of building systems that support our community.”
The Summit will present the Thrive Blueprint, a practical roadmap for coordinated action over the next five years. Additionally, speakers from Vision Galveston, Community Support Services, Schuber Mitchell Homes, and New Growth Food Systems will share examples of community responses to housing, social connection, mental health, and food security. Following each speaker, participants will engage in facilitated discussions designed to move ideas toward action.
Organizers emphasize that lasting progress requires coordination across sectors and the involvement of community members willing to invest in long-term solutions. Andrea Cullers, Co-Chair of the Thrive Joplin Project, shared, “The Thrive Blueprint is designed to help organizations of all sizes find ways to make meaningful, sustainable impact on our community’s needs. If each organization adopts a single strategy, we can have a significant and positive impact on the region.”
Participants will leave with new connections, practical insights, and opportunities to engage in the Thrive Project.
Community members interested in attending can learn more and register online.
One Joplin is a community collaborative that connects organizations, volunteers, and local leaders to identify and address critical needs and improve the quality of life across the region.
