“Great sale. Good customer service.”
   “Everyone was sweet and helpful.”
   “The ladies there are very pleasant and helpful. Thanks!”
   “Friendly people!”

It’s the holiday season – a time for good tidings and grateful hearts. At Meadowlark Market, the merry and magic associated with Christmas appear to be experienced year-round. The comments above were sent to the Market team by customers during the past several months, and at least one frequent shopper and one Market volunteer echo these sentiments.

More than 1 million visitors are expected to visit Grapevine, Texas, (population 50,981) during its annual Christmas Capital of Texas celebration, and the Meadowlark Travelers were 38 of that number on Dec. 6 and 7, ready to experience some Texas-size fun. In addition to tour leaders Becky Fitzgerald and Monte Spiller, our group was composed of residents, Passport members, and family members.

Kelley Boland’s beaded designs are doing more than catching sunlight. They are catching much attention wherever they are displayed.

Such was the case at August’s Empowered LIVE!, an annual event to empower persons living with Parkinson’s Disease to celebrate life and stay engaged. Boland, a newer member of the Young Onset group supported by Meadowlark Parkinson’s Program, was one of several VIPDs showing off their handiwork and hobbies at the LIVE! gathering, held prior to the Speedy PD Race for Parkinson’s Disease.

Oink! Now that the calendar has flipped to October, temperatures are cooling, but activities to benefit Meadowlark Foundation are heating up. It’s HOGTOBERFEST season, and here are a few squeal-worthy announcements! 

No. 1 – The 11th annual HOGTOBERFEST, an awareness and fundraising event to benefit Meadowlark Foundation’s Good Samaritan Fund, is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 25! 

No. 2 – You asked for it, and you got it! Meadowlark’s Prairie Star Restaurant and Event Venue is once again this year’s celebration location! 

Do you have your tickets for Art Mingle? No?! There's no better time than right now to secure your spot at this artful fundraising event, set for May 31 at SNW Gallery and Union Hall, 328 Poyntz Ave. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Art Mingle 2024: Poyntz of View, presented by Community First National Bank, promises to be a delightful evening in the HEART of downtown Manhattan. Your ticket includes savory and sweet food stations, libations, and lively music! This event benefits Meadowlark Memory Program.

Thank you, Manhattan! At the conclusion of a reconciliation process following an annual 24 hours of giving sponsored by Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, event organizers proudly announced three eye-opening numbers. The 12th annual Grow Green Match Day on April 22 attracted 7149 gifts to 91 non-profit organizations totaling $1,773,601.69!

Mark your calendars for Friday, May 31! Meadowlark Foundation’s art-related fundraiser is moving from Prairie Star Restaurant to a different venue with two new partnerships. Art Mingle: Poyntz of View, which benefits the Meadowlark Memory Program, begins at 6:30 p.m. at 328 Poyntz Ave. This location in the HEART of downtown Manhattan is home to SNW Gallery & Custom Frames and Union Hall, which are located inside the historic, 127-year-old Eames Building.

On Feb. 14 about 25 years ago, Meadowlark resident Marion Pelton, a retired professor of music at Kansas State University and longtime supporter of the arts, walked into the chief executive officer’s office with a rose and an envelope. According to then CEO Steve Shields, his first thought was that Pelton, a friend and mentor, was bringing him a Valentine’s Day remembrance, but when he opened the envelope, he found a signed check.

“What is this for?” Shields asked.

“This is Our Happy Place.” A custom-made, wooden sign crafted by Meadowlark resident Steve Hall hangs at Meadowlark Market, and the words seem to aptly describe the feelings of those associated with the monthly fundraiser. Happy donors, happy customers, and happy volunteers have helped to create another successful year in terms of awareness of and funds raised for Meadowlark Foundation’s Good Samaritan Fund.

The Meadowlark Travelers' holiday-themed getaway last week included one ark, two eye-catching light displays, three entrees at a private, catered dinner, and more decorated trees than we could count. Twenty-six residents and Passport members, as well as friends and family members joined Monte Spiller, Resident Services Leader, and Becky Fitzgerald, Development Director, on a six-day tour with meal, hotel, and/or attraction stops in six states: Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.