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" Of Love and Hope: A Summerfest Family Reunion "
July 2004 USA Convention
Hotel Phillips, Kansas City, Missouri
 9th to 11th July 2004

Convention News - Table of Contents

News Update           -   1     June 2004

News Update           -  14      May 2004

News Update           -   3 February 2004

Further Information   -  25  October 2003

Location Announcement -  25  October 2003

Of Love & Hope Convention Update ~ June 1, 2004

The con is only 38 days away!

REGISTRATIONS

The registration deadline is only a few days away—June 6th!! So, if you’re
planning to register, do it NOW!

HOTEL RESERVATIONS

The deadline for making your hotel reservation is also June 6th. The
hotel will be releasing rooms from our room block after that date. You will
then be required to reserve your room with a non-refundable deposit equal to
one-night ’s room rate. So, please make your reservation NOW if you haven’t
already done so.

If you must change your check-out date, you must do so prior to or upon
checking in. Failure to do so will result in a $50 early-departure
penalty imposed by the hotel.

MERCHANDISE ORDERS

We are almost ready to start taking pre-orders for conzines, t-shirts
and coffee mugs. We will make the order form available as quickly as
possible, so watch for an announcement. All of fandom is welcome to purchase these
items.
Your window of opportunity will be very small, so please act quickly!
We must give our suppliers time to order, print and deliver the merchandise to
us before the con.

At the same time, we are providing an opportunity for you to make a
tax-deductible donation to our selected charity, The Shadow Buddies
Foundation. For every $12 donation (the cost of one Shadow Buddy) you include with your merchandise order, you may take a $1 discount off your merchandise!
Make a $24 donation and take $2 off, and so on. Because we are simply no longer
able to raise much money through our traditional charity auction process we hope that
giving you an opportunity to contribute in this way will increase the overall
donation to be made in the name of Beauty and the Beast fandom. We will
be mentioned in their upcoming newsletter, so let’s continue our legacy and
tradition of being helpers and get noticed!

BANQUET CENTERPIECE SPONSORSHIP

Traditionally, our banquet centerpieces have found their way into fans’
homes by way of post-banquet auction or lucky winner drawing. This year, we
are trying something a little different. We are offering you an opportunity
to sponsor a banquet centerpiece! At the end of the con, it will be yours
to keep.
For just $25, you will receive your lovely centerpiece, including all
the accoutrements that come with it. There will also be a card with each
centerpiece that will show your name or group as the sponsor. We will even ship it
to your home, if you like! The centerpiece can be displayed year-round in
your everyday home décor and can be modified seasonally with your own special
touches.
We’d prefer to keep them under-wraps until the doors of the “Great Hall”
open on Sunday night, so preference will be given to the truly faithful
who will sponsor sight-unseen. If you must see a photo beforehand, we
understand, and will be happy to e-mail you a sample. Suffice it to say, however, there
are candles and roses involved and quantities are limited!

METRO BUS

With the exception of Starlight Theatre, most of our transportation
needs during the week will be accommodated by Kansas City’s Metro bus system.
Each fare is $1, or 50 cents for anyone showing a Medicare Card. Express
routes are slightly higher. Transfers are good for two hours, so if you know you
will be boarding another bus within two hours, you must request a transfer card
when boarding the first time. This will save you the additional fare on the
2nd bus. The Metro is a convenient and economical way to get around the
city.
Please have exact change for the fare box. If you insert a $5 bill for
a $1 ride, the fare box will issue you a change card (or multiple cards) that can
be swiped on subsequent trips. Cabs are also available, but will cost you.

PARKING

A good number of fans will be driving to Kansas City this year. As
stated previously, parking at the hotel is by valet only and is $12 per day
with in/out privileges (don’t forget to tip the valet!). I believe street parking
is available for free at night and on the weekends. I am trying to confirm
this.
There are also numerous surface lots and parking garages in the
area—some costing just $4 per day. If a fellow fan offers his or her personal
vehicle to drive you anywhere, please be considerate and offer a couple of dollars
to help defray their parking and gasoline expenses.

MONDAY SCHEDULE CHANGE

I discovered last week that the Hallmark Visitors Center at Crown Center
is now closed on Mondays. This tour was scheduled as part of the Crown
Center & Union Station add-on for Monday, July 12th. They informed me that they
are keeping track of “complaints” and took my name and number in case they
decide to reopen on Mondays. But, I was told it wasn’t too likely. This is very
upsetting to me, as I’m sure it is for many of you who had planned to
enjoy this wonderful exhibit.

There are, however, other opportunities for you to enjoy the Hallmark
Visitors Center. You may want to consider going on Wednesday or
Thursday before the con. You can easily make a stop on your way to the Country Club Plaza.
Or, you may want to run up there during one of our lunch breaks on Friday or
Saturday during the con. This won’t leave you much time to eat,
however. The exhibit can be enjoyed in about ½ hour, but to really appreciate it
would take about 45 minutes to an hour. I am also looking at moving our tour
schedule around a bit on Tuesday after the con, to accommodate those who want to tour the Hallmark Visitors Center at that time.
Another attraction that I did not have scheduled because it, too, is
closed on Mondays is the Liberty Memorial. This monument to World War I, the
only one in the United States, is adjacent to both Crown Center and Union
Station. In addition to a museum, the monument, 217 feet tall and on top of a hill,
has an elevator leading to an open-air observation deck where you can get a
nice bird’s eye view of the city. You can check out their webcam at
http://www.libertymemorialmuseum.org. Click on the North view to see
downtown, Union Station in the foreground, and the Westin Crown Center in the right foreground (by the pool). We can squeeze this onto Tuesday’s schedule or, it is open
on Wednesday and Thursday before the con should any of you wish to stop on
your way to the Plaza. Please note that there are also about 40 stair steps you
must take in addition to the elevator to reach the observation deck. The elevator
costs $2 for adults and $1 for seniors 65 and older. Museum admission is $4 for
adults and $3 for seniors. A combo ticket will save you $1.

STEAMBOAT ARABIA ADD-ON

We are currently scheduled to tour the Arabia Steamboat Museum at 10:00
a.m. Tuesday morning. The time may change if we decide to squeeze in a trip
to the Hallmark Visitors Center. But, let me tell you a little bit about this
interesting museum.

In 1856, Kansas City was a major stopping point along the Missouri River
for those traveling west into the great frontier. Many steamboats loaded
and unloaded their cargo and passengers here. However, the Mighty Mo was
quite untamed and many steamboats succumbed to “snags”—tree roots submerged
below the river’s surface that would pierce their wooden hulls. The Great White
Arabia was one such steamboat. She was fully loaded with 200 tons of brand new
frontier merchandise to be delivered along her route. On September 5, 1856, she
hit one of those dreadful snags and quickly sank, carrying her precious
cargo to the bottom of the river. Over time, the Arabia was covered by mud and
silt, the river changed course and the Arabia was long forgotten. In 1988 some
adventurous young men formed a salvage company and began searching for
sunken steamboats such as the Arabia using old river maps. The boat was
discovered lying 45 feet beneath a Kansas cornfield just upriver from Kansas City and the salvage effort was begun.

The museum offers visitors a unique glimpse into pre-Civil War life on
the frontier and has one of the largest displays of “brand new,” 1856
frontier merchandise. The tour begins with a short film documenting the search
and salvage effort and is followed by case after case of the Arabia’s treasures.
Admission to the museum can be paid at the door and is $9.75 for adults
and $9.25 for seniors. For more information, please visit their website at
http://www.1856.com.


CREATIVE CANDLES ADD-ON

Our tour of this downtown candle factory is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on
Tuesday. Creative Candles has been in business since 1961 and continues
their method of hand-dipping their candles. We will have the opportunity to
see the candle-making process!

SHADOW BUDDIES FOUNDATION

As announced in the last update, our chosen charity this year is the
Shadow Buddies Foundation.

Shadow Buddies—Special Buddies for Special Children, are condition
specific dolls designed to be a friend, “just like me.” Buddies are given to
children in hospitals and clinics, schools and camps, and in situations in which
they might need a friend to help them through health-related experiences. In
addition to providing children with welcome companions, the Buddies
provide a hands-on method for health care providers and educators to teach
children and families about a child’s medical condition. Not only are Shadow Buddies
a valuable tool for medical education, they provide children with priceless
companionship— a Buddy.

The mission of the Shadow Buddies Foundation is to provide emotional
support through education regarding illness, disability, or medical treatments.
The Foundation accomplishes this mainly through unique programs designed to
enhance the lives of children and adults and increase compassion and
understanding of differences. In pursuit of that mission, the Foundation raises funds,
develops new programs and builds relationships between organizations
with complementary goals.

Shadow Buddies Foundation programs include an annual benefit dinner and
auction, the Know Your Buddy Book, and Annual Holiday Hugs. The Shadow
Buddies Foundation also partners with the Childhood Leukemia Foundation, the
Ford Motor Company, Hollister, Inc. (makers of pediatric ostomy supplies), Angel
Flight Central (arranging transportation for people in need of medical care);
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates (for children who are removed from
abusive or neglectful homes and put into foster care); Fantasy Flight (partnering
with United Airlines, medically challenged and special needs children are
treated to a magical Fantasy Flight to the North Pole for a visit with Santa and Mrs.
Claus.)

Marty Postlethwait, creator of Shadow Buddies, has shared her story
about turning a challenging situation in her family into a benefit for
thousands of other families. Shadow Buddies have found their way into the hearts of
many through television, radio, newspapers and magazines including, The View
(ABC), Today Show (NBC), Fox Family Health, Extra, Up to the Minute (CBS),
People Magazine, Time Magazine, Women’s World and more.

Shadow Buddies are all over the world, from Australia to Romania, Africa
to Alaska. The Shadow Buddies Foundation was privileged to be part of a
goodwill medical airlift to China and Tibet in 1998 where Marty distributed
Buddies to children in hospitals and orphanages. In 1997, Mikhail Gorbachev and
his wife, Raisa, received Buddies for children in the former Soviet Union on
one of their visits to the United States. Buddies transcend language barriers
and bring compassion and education wrapped up in one little package—a friend
“just like me.”

You can learn more about this wonderful organization at
http://www.shadowbuddies.org

That’s all for this update. Look for the convention merchandise order
form which is forthcoming very soon.

And, as always, all the latest news and information concerning Of Love &

Hope, A Summerfest Family Reunion can be found at our Yahoo Group site:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/olah2004/

Lori Hicks
Convention Chairperson
Olah2004@aol.com
(913) 345-2597

I am absolutely thrilled to announce that the worthy organization we will be supporting this year is The Shadow Buddies Foundation  http://www.shadowbuddies.org .  Please take a few moments to visit their website.  I selected this organization because I believe we all have compassion for the countless children who must endure frightening medical procedures and the isolation of being labeled "different" due to the effects of their treatment or physical condition.  These children yearn to "have a friend like me" and Shadow Buddies fulfills that need by providing condition-specific, huggable doll friends to these children and educational materials to hospitals, schools and community organizations. 

We are ready to accept merchandise for the Orphan Table.  For more information, please contact Lori Hicks at olah2004@aol.com or find everything you need at the olah2004 Yahoo Group site.  We are looking for zines, memorabilia, videos, craft items, calendars and the like (handmade or commercial).  If you aren’t sure about your item(s), you may contact Lori for more information.  Please consider letting the con sell your items for a small commission and save yourself the time and hassle of listing through ebay!  This will be the extent of our "dealer’s room" this year so let’s make it a great shopping event!   

COUNTRYCLUBPLAZA - ADD-ON TOUR

Of Love and Hope News Update

25th October 2003

Announcing the 15th Annual Beauty and the Beast Mini Con/Family Reunion (formerly known as a convention)

Of Love and Hope

A Summerfest Family Reunion

July 9 - 11, 2004

Kansas City, Missouri

We are embarking on a journey toward "something that has never been" as we invite you to the heart of America next July to celebrate fandom, friendships and the bonds we have formed over the years.  This convention is going to be a bit different in that we will be unable to bring our usual celebrity guests as we will be on a very tight budget.  We will, however, bring you as many of the usual convention activities and events as we can plus we will try some new things!  

As long as we are changing gears, we may as well shake things up a little bit and try out a new schedule.  Please plan on 3 full days of activities all culminating with our traditional Summerfest Banquet/Closing Ceremonies on Sunday night.  What a wonderful way to hold on to that warm, happy feeling!!

Our home tunnels for the weekend will be the Hotel Phillips, a historic hotel built in 1931 and restored to its original art deco grandeur.  As you enter the lobby you will be captivated by the beautiful woodwork, fixtures and the grand staircase ascending to the mezzanine and the gilded statue of Dawn, "Mother of Stars".  Very specific instructions for making your hotel reservation can be found in the "Files" section of the new olah2004 Yahoo group.

The hotel is located in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, in the theatre district.  In fact, some of the meeting rooms we will be using in the hotel are named after our local, historic theatres.  Downtown Kansas City does not exactly bustle like other big cities.  It's alive and vibrant during the workweek but we roll up the sidewalks on the weekends.  Because of this, restaurant choices will be abundant most of the time but somewhat limited during the weekend.

Within the hotel you will find the 12 Baltimore Café & Bar, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Additionally, you will find a very upscale dining option, the Phillips Chop House, located below street level.  Adjacent to the hotel, within City Center Square, is a food court with McDonald's, Baskin Robbins, Starbucks, Subway, Taco Bell and other fast bites.  This is also the building that houses the Convention & Visitor's Bureau where you can pick up brochures, maps and coupons plus there is also a U.S. Post Office which is open on weekdays.  Adjacent to that building is the Town Pavilion, also with a food court featuring Blimpie, Mrs. Fields, Pretzel Time, Panda Express, Wrap It Up Tex Mex Grill, Flamers Charburgers, Great Steak & Fry Company, Joe Joe's Italian Eatery plus Fred P. Ott's Bar and Grill.

There are other restaurants on the same block and within a short walking distance of the hotel.  These include Italian Gardens, Kaya Japanese Restaurant, Grandma's Deli & Bake Shop and more.  An up-to-date downtown dining guide/map will be provided at registration.

We are planning some fun add-on tours so be sure to come early and stay a little longer so you can explore the city of fountains.  That's right, Kansas City is known for its many beautiful fountains-they're everywhere!  And, let's not forget the bar-b-q that Kansas City is so famous for!!  Here are some of the add-ons you can look forward to:

Explore the world famous Country Club Plaza!  Fourteen square blocks of fabulous shopping, dining and entertainment in the first outdoor shopping district of its kind in the United States.  The Plaza has been Kansas City's premier destination for more than 75 years.  Stroll the tree-lined streets while you window shop, buy a unique gift, eat to your heart's content, take in a carriage ride or a Fiesta Cruise along Brush Creek.  Sit at a sidewalk café and leisurely watch people go by or admire the beautiful Spanish architecture modeled after Seville, Spain.  Perhaps you will take in a movie or catch a free concert in one of the courtyards.  The Plaza is not to be missed!  Plan your Plaza excursion for Thursday as that is the one day of the week where most all the shops are open until 9 p.m.

On Monday, plan to explore the Crown Center Complex and Union Station.  Crown Center is owned and operated by Hallmark Cards.  This is their world headquarters.  Plan on spending at least an hour or so browsing through the Hallmark Visitor's Center.  This free tour is open daily and it is very worthwhile.  See a timeline display of each decade of the 20th century, see the wonderful Hallmark ornament display, the Christmas tree display, see greeting cards being made right before your very eyes!  The tour is interactive, informative, and fun.  You can even press a button and a ribbon spinning machine will make a star bow for you to take home with you.

The Crown Center shops feature three floors of unique shopping, dining, exhibits and entertainment.  The lower floor has a nice food court and a few restaurants.  Stop at the information desk for brochures and coupon books, too!  While inside the complex you can walk over to the Westin Crown Center and see the 5-story indoor waterfall.

Take the elevated walkway, called the Link, from the Westin to Union Station.  This historic, restored train station, built between 1910 and 1914, is now home to Science City, live theatres, national touring exhibits and the City Extreme Screen. Explore on your own or take a guided tour.

For those with energy (and a little cash) to spare, Monday night will be riverboat casino night!  We have four full gaming casinos to pick from.  You'll think you're in Vegas!

On Tuesday morning we will go to the River Market area located just above the Missouri River.  Here we will take the Steamboat Arabia tour.  The Steamboat Arabia sank in the river in 1856 full of frontier cargo.  She was discovered buried in a corn field a few years ago and now that cargo is on display.  Get a glimpse into the historic past and see for yourself the amenities of frontier life.  This tour begins with a short documentary film describing the excavation and recovery.  The next part of the tour is partially guided then you are free to browse at your leisure.  Plan on 90 minutes for this worthwhile tour.

Continue to explore the River Market area for a bit-browse the eclectic shops, boutiques and galleries.  For the really brave, we can take a walk to an observatory that takes you right above the river's edge.  

We'll return to the hotel where lunch will be on your own.  In the afternoon we will again venture out and go to Creative Candles for our free, guided tour of a real candle factory.

It's then back to the hotel to rest up for our big night on Broadway (well, sort of).  We will charter transportation to Kansas City's historic Starlight Theatre.  Our dinner will be catered and we will sit under the stars while watching a national touring production to be announced at a later date.  Once group tickets go on sale, you will need to register for this add-on immediately.  We will need to arrange for the group tickets, the catered meal, and the transportation so knowing who will be going will be of utmost importance.

There are so many other wonderful things to see and do in Kansas City but we can't take in everything in the short time we will be together.  I will be happy to provide information on any of the other attractions or museums you may be interested in as well as helping you find transportation options if you want to explore on your own or stay even longer.  Keep in mind that many of our museums are closed on Mondays, however.  You may want to consider from the following-Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun amusement parks, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and the Truman home in Independence, the Toy and Miniature Museum, Loose Park Rose Garden, Westport, historic 18th & Vine jazz district, Liberty Memorial, etc…  

I'm certain that you will find Kansas City a surprisingly nice place to visit.  It's like a "diamond on the plains", it's beautiful, the people are friendly and the food is simply delicious!  Please plan on extending your stay beyond the con and make it a vacation!

To get all the latest news and information about Of Love & Hope, A Summerfest Family Reunion, please join our new Yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/olah2004

This is our official site and will serve as our "webpage" of sorts.  Here, you can ask questions, get answers, find a roomie, view photos, get links to local information, participate in polls, get your registration form, hotel information, reservation instructions and more!

Lori Hicks

Convention Chairperson

Location Announcement Email

25th October 2003

Good afternoon, everyone!!  At long last, I'm pleased to make the official announcement for the next Beauty and the Beast "convention" to be held next July in Kansas City, Missouri!  I also want to take this opportunity to thank EVERYONE for their kindness and patience.  I had hoped to get this information out much sooner but my job has been placing some brutal demands on my free time.

I'd like to invite everyone to join a new Yahoo group (olah2004) created to provide you with information pertaining to the "con."  It is my intention that this forum will be a workable substitute for a webpage.  Here you will find links, photos, forms and information in addition to being able to use the message features to ask questions, get answers or perhaps find a roomie!  From time to time, we will also conduct some fun polls.  Please bear in mind, however, that this site is still a work-in-progress - there is more information to come!  

I realize many of us are members of several mailing lists and, therefore, may be reluctant to join another.  Please remember that you can set your mail preferences to "no mail" and still pop in anytime to browse around and find the information you need.

I hope that you'll join me in the olah2004 Yahoo group and, more importantly, plan on attending "Of Love and Hope, A Summerfest Family Reunion!!"

Since the main announcement is rather long, I will send it separately.

Lori Hicks

Convention Chairperson

olah2004@aol.com