CCO Honors Two Great Men

Thursday evening Communities Creating Opportunity (CCO), formerly known as the Kansas City Church Community Organization, held a Soul of the City Jazz Café Concert at the Scottish Rite Temple, Linwood and Paseo Blvd. To distinguished men were honored for the community service.

Mr. Alvin Brooks was given the “Father Don Helfrey Commitment to Community Award”. For more than 40 years Brooks has been a leader in his community. Whether it was driving around encouraging lids to stay out of trouble and get involved in sports as a police officer, to being the Mayor Pro-Tem; Brooks has shown he cares.

He has been a stalwart in Kansas City public service as a long time member of the City Council, as a former Assistant City Manager and candidate for mayor. As founder of the Ad Hoc Group Against Crime, Brooks has been a champion for non-violence.

Tom Sweeny was given the “Phyllis Bahner Legacy of Leadership Award”. Sweeny embodies a lifelong commitment to improving the world around him through law, justice, civic involvement, and faith. Sweeny, once listed as one of America’s top 100 lawyers, improved the legal system to serve others by providing legal advocacy to the homeless and serving on the Missouri Supreme Court Advisory Committee to establish legal ethical standards. He championed social justice by marching for civil rights in the 60s, organizing KC Harmony events in the 80s and speaking out against voter suppression in the mid 2000s. Improving our civic institutions has also been important to Sweeny, he has made extensive time and a financial commitment to multiple schools, coached teams, and was elected a committeeman in 1990s. In the area of faith, Sweeny served on the Catholic Inter-racial Council, was a church finance chair and visited the sick with communion until his stroke in 2007.

Now you ask…why was I there? Well, Royal Photography was hired to set up a mini-studio, take guest photos and prints on the spot. Considering this event was a fundraiser to CCO, a percentage of our proceeds were given back to the organization.

This was a fun event and I even ran into a few couples whose wedding I photographed a few years back. Good work Mary (Mardee’s Design & Consulting). Kudos, Tameka on a job well done organizing the fundraiser. I’m still wondering why everyone was asking you to dance.

Congratulations gentlemen on your continued community involvement and may other local citizens follow in your footsteps.

Mr. Alvin Brooks (second from right) is flanked with friends at the event, shortly after he received his award.
Tameka Bell stands with her husband, Jonathon, at the fundraising event. ◦

CCO Honors Two Great Men