| Kathleen Welton and
Jan Purgason in 1991 under the umbrella of the Clay County Health
Department
organized the CIay PIatte Trackers of Kansas City . The group met on
the
third Tuesday of the month at the Clay County Health Department in
Liberty,
Missouri.
The
first officers were President Gary Buehrer, first vice President Jane
Thebo, second Vice-president, Judy Hubble; secretary, Kathleen
Welton;
treasurer, Owen Metcalf. Many decisions were made the first year. Shari
Taylor designed a club patch with a raccoon walking across Clay and
Platte
counties. Charter members received a free club patch. Club members
chose
a teal colored jacket for their club jacket. Other club presidents
include Jane Thebo, Judy Sallee, Barbara Buehrer, Ed McLees,
Betty Swain, Duane Bowers and Jan Purgason.
The
club held their first walk March 29, 1992, in Kearney, Missouri. The
walk, labeled the Jesse James Walk, started at Clem's Cafe and took
the walker to the Jesse James home. Even though it was pouring
down rain,
area walkers turned out in mass for our club's first walk. We had over
two hundred walkers that day. From 1991 to the Plattesburg Walk in
November
2000, the club will have sponsored thirty two walks. Platte County
walks
have included walks in Parkville and Platte City; Clay County walks
have
included walks in Watkins Mill State Park, Excelsior Springs, Liberty
and Gladstone. Jackson County walks have included various walks in the
mid-town area. Out-of area walks were held in Plattsburg and Wallace
State
Park.
The
club has sponsored a yearly picnic and usually a Christmas or
after-Christmas party is combined with a prewalk. Ed McLees has
organized several historic Kansas City walks with guides from the
Historic Kansas City Foundation. One year, club members added their
mileage, and the combined total took members around the globe to
Hawaii. Under the direction of Judy Salee and her committee, the club
was treated to a Hawaiian luau. At the end of
our fifth year, the club sponsored a T-shirt design contest. Denise
Buehrer, daughter of members, Gary and Barbara Buehrer won the contest.
The teal shirts state "Five Years of Great Walks".
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