Jews among Shepherd’s Center first Prime Time Champions

The Jewish community will be greatly represented in the inaugural Prime Time Awards, sponsored by Shepherd’s Center of KC Central. The 2012 Prime Time Champions are Shirley Rose, Crosby Kemper III and the Jewish Heritage Foundation.

The Prime Time Awards salute excellence in contributions to the community by individuals who are age 60-plus and/or organizations that help this population.

Rose, at the age of 78, founded the American Stroke Association along with her daughter in 1997.

“She is a remarkable example of the ability to bring an important vision to reality after the age of 60,” said JoEllen Wurth, Shepherd’s Center executive director.

Rose said, “I am deeply honored to be selected for this award from such a worthy organization.”

Kemper is the director of the Kansas City Public Library and former CEO of UMB Financial Corporation.

“Crosby exemplifies the stellar success of an encore career and the possibilities of making a community-wide impact in life after the age of 60,” Wurth said.

The Jewish Heritage Foundation is being honored for its leadership, Wurth said, “as a recognizable beacon that has led the way to ensuring that funding supports successful aging in Kansas City.

Ellen Kort, executive director of the Jewish Heritage Foundation, said the foundation is honored to accept the award.

“For the past six years our foundation has chosen to focus on ‘Aging in Community,’ and we see our goals mirrored in the excellent strategies employed by the Shepherd’s Center. We join the community in saluting the Shepherd’s Center Central as they continue to impact the progress of helping Kansas Citians age successfully,” Kort said.

Shepherd’s Center Central empowers mid-life and older adults to live healthy, engaged and independent lives. Founded in 1972, the Shepherd’s Center Central is a leader in the regional effort to ensure that all people can age successfully with dignity, security and respect.

The event will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5, at the InterContinental Hotel. For ticket or sponsorship information, visit www.sccentral.org or call 816-444-1121.