One day each year is set aside to honor staff members who have served at Rainbows for 10 years or more. This special celebration is the 10:15+ Club event.
Typically, every year on October 15 at 10:15 a.m., Club members are transported to secret locations where the day is spent doing fun activities and celebrating milestones. This year October 15 fell on a Sunday, so the fun was scheduled for Monday, October 16.
The 10:15+ Club is currently 72 members strong! This year’s first stop of the day was at the Museum of World Treasures in Wichita’s Old Town. Everyone was greeted by Rainbows’ Board Members, Gail Johnson, Pat Gearhart, and Gary Proffitt. The Museum of World Treasures, with three floors of exhibits, features treasures from around the world and through the ages. From bones of long-lost creatures and Egyptian mummies, to secrets of ancient civilizations and battlefields of World War, the Museum has many discoveries to be made! Here, Rainbows’ staff was first welcomed into the Banquet Hall to find delicious Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and juice, to be enjoyed from their new commemorative10:15+ mugs adorning each table. Along with their mugs, each table included a framed “throwback” photo of a Rainbows’ child or staff (or both) dating anywhere from 1972 to the present. What fun it was to watch this group of long-term staff reminisce on each photo, talking about past families, recalling old memories, and remembering specific names!
The special day continued by honoring Rainbows’ ten, fifteen, twenty, and twenty-five year staff members with a brief awards ceremony. As with the entire 10:15+ Club, these individuals have served Rainbows’ families with dedication.
This year’s service milestones included:
10 Years
LaDonna Collins
Mary Avila
LaWana Wallace
Diane Southern
Audra Kenneson
15 Years
Alexia Foster
Katrina Johnson
Laura Beck
Denise Chichester
20 Years
Linda Cathey
25 Years
Rhonda Davis
Next on the agenda was lunch! River City Brewing Company, located just northeast of the Museum, provided a special Mexican-themed fajita bar. The Club took a short walk over to the restaurant as a group and enjoyed some fabulous food in the restaurant’s upstairs loft space. Rainbows’ Board Member, Dan Sabol, joined the group for the meal.
Following lunch, special Museum tours were scheduled for the Club. Knowledgeable guides took two groups for a 1-hour tour, giving detailed insight on their favorite exhibits.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent watching the movie Temple Grandin, about a woman with autism who overcame limitations imposed on her by her condition to become a Ph.D. and expert in the field of animal husbandry. The “movie theater feel” was made complete with popcorn treats from The Popcorner and a bar of candy selections.
“There aren’t many places who recognize their long-term staff in such a way,” said Kenda Belknap, a teacher on Rainbows’ CBETS team. “It’s always so interesting to see what they dream up for the 10:15+ celebration each year. This year’s lunch choice was my favorite!”
The size of the 10:15+ Club is proof that our staff is passionate about working at Rainbows. It is an exciting moment when a staff member is inducted into the 10:15+ Club. Thank you to all 10:15+ Club members who have dedicated 10 years or more to Rainbows. We appreciate everything you have done, currently do, and will continue doing for the children and families we serve!
