Partnerships

In the course of our 75 year history, Heartspring has received generous and enduring support from our community. We would like to gratefully acknowledge the following groups and individuals who have made extraordinary gifts of their time, treasure and talent to ensure that we would continue to grow and help more children with special needs succeed.

Willard Garvey and family

The Garvey family history with Heartspring can be traced back to our earliest days. In 1947, Willard Garvey helped to secure the land and title grant from the state to build the campus on Jardine Drive. The legend goes that the first contract for the purchase of the land was made from the paper off an empty cigarette pack that the land owner had. Mr. Garvey’s mother, Olive White Garvey was also strongly involved with Heartspring through the years. She served on the board in the 1950’s, received the Palmer Humanitarian award in 1970, shaped the Palmer memorial fund and was a honorary member of the Women’s Council. We are also grateful for the constant support over the decades of Willard’s widow, Mrs. Jean Garvey. The Garvey family continues to support Heartspring through the Garvey Family Charitable Trust.

Barbershoppers

One of the greatest partnerships that evolved during Heartspring's history is that with S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A (Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America) now known as the Barbershop Harmony Society. During our 36-year partnership (1964-2000), the Barbershoppers contributed over $16 million, assisting in the building of the current campus, creation of an endowment fund and the Shaklee Institute.

Women’s Advisory Council

The Women's Advisory Council (1936-2005) provided Heartspring with thousands of volunteer hours, hundreds of creative ideas and close to $1.3 million in financial support over the course their 69 years of service. Their mission was to enhance and enrich the quality of life enjoyed by the children of Heartspring. Over the years, they generously supported projects including the Technical Library, scholarships and financial assistance, the Family Resource Center, the KidCheck program and the Women’s Advisory Council and Martin F. and Mary C. Palmer endowments. Four rooms in the Community Services Building were named for their support of the 1994 Capital Campaign.

The Council’s first large benefit was held in May 1950. Jack Benny was the headline act. As the Council and IOL grew the need to educate the public did as well. In 1952 the National Women’s Auxiliary was formed. Its purpose was to further education in Logopedics work, and to raise funds on a national basis for research and teacher training in the field. They were very successful. Within a couple of years auxiliary members lived as far away as Alaska and Hawaii. Success was also garnered with newspaper articles and national radio programs, getting help from such celebrities as Art Linkletter, Groucho Marx, Deborah Kerr, Lionel Barrymore, Bob Crosby, Bob Hope, Eve Arden and Mickey Rooney.

Throughout their history with Heartspring this group of ladies brought nationally known celebrities to visit, developed national contacts for publications, created annual benefits such as the Fashion Ball and Holiday Open House and contributed countless hours and personal donations to the mission of Heartspring.

Philanthropic Sororities

Providing financial donations, volunteers, gifts and love, philanthropic sororities have played a meaningful role in the history of Heartspring, ensuring its success for over 60 years.

Lambda Tau Delta (LTD)

Since 1945, LTD has donated almost $375,000 to Heartspring to fund various initiatives, including generous support for the 1994 Capital Campaign. Most notable is their support of student scholarships through the Loving Time Deposits project. In August 2009, LTD presented Heartspring with an additional $20,000 donation in honor of the sorority’s 100th anniversary.

Sigma Alpha

Since 1946, thousands of members of Sigma Alpha from across the nation have committed themselves to Heartspring, raising over $3,000,000. Their first major fundraising campaign for Heartspring culminated in 1950 with construction of new acoustical labs for hearing services. In 1957 they voted to fund the Interfaith Chapel on the old campus, which was dedicated in 1963. Sigma Alpha supported the 1994 capital campaign for Heartspring’s new campus, as well as countless other projects over the years including Camp Logos, the adapted physical education program, the music education program and student scholarships. Recent contributions have helped to fund programs such as outpatient financial assistance, the Sigma Alpha Teacher Exchange Program and the CARE Program.

Epsilon Sigma Alpha (ESA)

Since 1949 ESA has given over $200,000 worth of gift in kind items and $1,000,000 in cash donations, including a $10,000 gift to the 1994 Capital Campaign. Recent projects include a renovation of the Occupational Therapy room in Pediatric Services, an Alternative and Augmentative Communication device library, interactive white boards for classrooms and the LiteGait Treadmill and GaitMat for use in physical therapy. In addition to their fundraising projects, the ladies of ESA sponsor two dances at the Heartspring School each year, the Day of Love Dance in February and the annual Heartspring Prom in May.

Alpha Iota

Alpha Iota has given over $300,000 to Heartspring over the last 60 years, including a $10,000 sponsorship of the quiet room during the 1994 capital campaign. In 1967, Operation Greenthumb, Heartspring’s horticulture program, was adopted as Alpha Iota’s philanthropic project, allowing students to work on goals in vocational training and environmental enrichment. Since 1985, the women of Alpha Iota have supported the Adopt-A-Home program, contributing over $100,000 to that initiative to provide furniture, toys, games and meals to the residential homes.

Kappa Alpha Theta

Heartspring was honored to be the national philanthropy of Kappa Alpha Theta for over 40 years. The Theta’s first donation was used to purchase equipment for testing veterans with speech difficulties. They were responsible for the construction and maintenance of Theta Court, a residential housing complex at the Institute of Logopedics, and also supported research programs, the Occupational Therapy Department and student scholarships. Heartspring ceased to be Kappa Alpha Theta’s national philanthropy in 1989. Through a generous bequest, Heartspring continues to receive annual support from the Marshall Bowlin Trust at the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation. Contributions through the years total over $1,437,000.

Early Campaigns

In the mid 1960’s James Vickers, Supreme Court Justice Tom C. Clark and Kansas politician Paul Wunsch chaired a campaign for capital funds. Their goal was to raise $14 million during a 10 year span of time, in order to expand facilities and programs at the Institute of Logopedics. After the death of Dr. Palmer in 1965, the expansion campaign was renamed the Dr. Martin F. Palmer Development Fund, which became an endowment fund. James Vickers also chaired the 1960 campaign to raise $750,000 for IOL to add the east wing, complete the institute’s core building plan, expand research, and expand the training program.

1981 Capital Campaign to upgrade and improve facilities at the Institute of Logopedics Jardine Drive facility

Frank Carney, entrepreneur and long time supporter, Mr. Carney has been a great presence in the development of Heartspring’s programs through the years. He co-chaired the 1981 Institute of Logopedics Capital Campaign, participated in the steering committee for 1989 campaign, donated a large gift to the 1994 campaign and continues to personally support Heartspring through the Carney Charitable Trust

Charles Koch, co-chaired the 1981 $3.8 million Capital Campaign along side Frank Carney. Mr. Koch supported Heartspring as a donor and volunteer fund raiser during both the 1981 and 1994 Capital Campaigns, facilitating approximately half a million dollars in donations from Koch Industries.

1994 Capital Campaign to construct a new state of the art Heartspring campus

Ken Wagnon, long time supporter and co-chair of the 1994 Heartspring capital campaign, Mr. Wagnon graciously donated the land that Heartspring currently sits on as well as co-chairing the $12 million capital campaign. The Heartspring School carries his name on behalf of a personal donation.

Russ Meyer, former CEO of Cessna, co-chaired the 1994 Heartspring capital campaign. A classroom in the Heartspring School carries the Meyer’s name in honor of a personal contribution to the campaign.

Forrest Shaklee, deceased, a Barbershop performer and member, co-chaired the 1994 capital campaign as well. Mr. Shaklee was influential in the progress of the current Heartspring campus. His $3.4 million pledge provided for several buildings on campus which are named for him.