Rodrock Development’s season of celebration and giving back continues

There’s no better time of year to gather around the table and celebrate the holidays with loved ones, so that’s exactly what Rodrock Development is doing. As they say, ’tis the season for giving, and Darol Rodrock delivers.

On Sunday, the Darol Rodrock Foundation, in partnership with Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP, will treat up to 100 area foster-care children to a one-of-a-kind day of fun and holiday festivities. The children will first enjoy an afternoon outing followed by dinner at Buca de Pepo, all before going to revel in the beauty of the Plaza lights. The night will be capped with a gift for each child, a very generous gift card so each can make his or her own wish-list dreams come true.

“Many of our foster youth experience a wide variety of emotions during the month of December,” explained Cathy Crist, the KKGU Region 2 coordinator. “However, we will be focusing on nothing but joy the afternoon and evening of Sunday, Dec. 7. Because of our partnership with The Darol Rodrock Foundation, we’ve been able to plan a ‘Day to Remember’ holiday event. This day will be a point on their lives’ timelines that is full of fond memories. We have a fun afternoon activity planned, dinner on the Plaza, and an evening tour of the Plaza lights. For the 50 to 100 foster youth, this day will be all the ‘goodness’ of the holidays wrapped into a few short hours of lifetime memories.”

Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP is a one-of-a-kind organization that sets up shop within different high schools throughout the state of Kansas, including Miami, Franklin, Wyandotte and Johnson counties. There, walking the halls of the high schools, mentors interact with foster children on a daily basis, helping them through the ups and downs of school … and life. They keep students on track with their studies, provide financial aid and ACT/SAT workshops, travel for college visits and provide kids the support they need to succeed.

The Darol Rodrock Foundation has partnered with KKGU for the next three years, so the organization can serve more schools, hire more mentors, and provide a higher success rate for those in the foster-care system.

Still, the holiday fun doesn’t stop there. To thank all the agents — both Rodrock Development and co-op agents — for all their continued assistance, Rodrock will be hosting a Realtor Breakfast on Jan. 29 at the Overland Park Marriot. All area agents will be invited, and in the past it’s been an incredibly popular and well-attended event. Last year, approximately 600 agents came to enjoy good food and camaraderie.

“It’s a fun way to get everyone together and kick off the New Year,” said Brenda Sanders, president of Rodrock & Associates, Realtors. “Major prizes are always given away as a token of appreciation for all of the agents’ ongoing support.”

“The breakfast is incredibly high energy and inspiring,” said Judy Johns of Keller Williams. “Darol expresses gratitude in a huge, huge way. The breakfast is a gathering of great agents and networking on an über level. Darol goes overboard with amazing gift drawings. It’s a lot of fun. And it’s such a win-win working in Darol’s communities, selling in his communities, and seeing how he loves to give back.”

Rebecca Crain, with Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, agrees wholeheartedly. “It’s an event that no agent ever wants to miss; everyone is always really excited about it. It comes after the first of the year, so it’s a good kick-start to get the year going.

“It’s not just that Darol provides a wonderful breakfast, but they make it so much fun,” Crain continued. “Darol is just one of the most generous people in the whole wide world. Prizes are given away throughout the entire meal, so no one would ever leaves early. There’s electricity in the room, with agents from all across the city. Truthfully, there are not many opportunities for agents to get together across companies. And there’s always an informational part to it — it’s not just eating and getting gifts. Rodrock Development always brings in a speaker, so attendees get information on construction trends and more. You leave having had a great time and feeling more informed about the industry.”

Be it children in need or agents deserving thanks, Rodrock Development is gathering them all around the table, providing food for both body and soul. It’s just one way Rodrock strives to say thank you and give back to the community he loves so much.

“I’ve been extremely blessed and it gives me great pleasure to help people see the best in themselves, reach out to those in need, and thank those who’ve done so much for Rodrock Development,” Rodrock said.

For more information, visit Rodrock.com and DarolRodrockFoundation.org.

This story was originally published December 6, 2014 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Rodrock Development’s season of celebration and giving back continues."