We’re calling for fans to nominate their fellow beer lovers who deserve a little spotlight and a lot of Unfiltered Wheat! We want to hear and share the stories of the artists, community leaders, makers, doers, and more who have impacted our community. Unfiltered Wheat is a beloved beer on the Midwest, and we want to give some of that love back!
We’ll recognize Unfiltered Heroes throughout the year and share their stories on Boulevard platforms. They will also receive an ultimate Unfiltered Wheat prize pack, and Boulevard will make a $500 donation to a non-profit organization of their choice.*
NOMINATE YOUR UNFILTERED HERO BELOW
*No purchase necessary. Must be 21*+.
There are people in this world that are endlessly giving; the way they fill their cup is by filling others. That’s what we’ve found in Marine Corps veteran, Shannon. She found healing through horses, and has dedicated her life to helping veterans and first responders find their own path to healing. Shannon has made it clear that serving others is her passion. We are proud to make a donation to Horses & Heroes, an equine assisted mental health & alternative therapy organization in Leavenworth, Kansas, in her honor!
In what ways has your nominee positively impacted their community?
Shannon is a Marine Corps veteran and single mom of 3! She works (and volunteers) tirelessly for other veterans and first responders though nonprofit Horses & Heroes, Inc. H&H provides no cost equine-assisted psychotherapy to veterans and first responders in KC. Shannon helps manage the herd of horses, human volunteers, and veterans working to better their lives through veteran treatment court programs. She is out there mucking poop, mending fences, caring for 12 horses, making sure grounds and operations are all taken care of; even outside of her assigned work time. And, she always has a positive attitude and outlook of hope!
Shalese is an incredible human, and we are very lucky she calls Kansas City home. She dedicates her time and space to advocating for mothers, babies, and families at Cradle KC and Every Baby to 1. Her goal is to amplify and empower Black voices in that space, spreading kindness, education, and support to every family she can. Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause, and social determinants of health prevent many people from racial and ethnic minority groups from having fair opportunities for economic, physical, and emotional health. We’re proud to make a donation to the Community Health Council of Wyandotte County for $500 in her honor!
In what ways has your nominee positively impacted their community?
She is constantly advocating for Maternal and Infant Health issues, and her sole focus for years has been on advancing the health of women of color. As a Project Manager for Cradle KC and Every Baby to 1, Shalese engages families, making space for them to share their experiences with decision-makers, and working with health leads to educate parents on the importance of reproductive health and safe sleep. She hopes to continue to eliminate health disparities for Black families and continue educating Black and Brown families on maternal health issues, helping babies make it past 1 to have a whole lifetime of good health and happiness.
Scott is the wind beneath our wings! A busy professional who donates his time to his community, and uses his skills as a pilot to help fly people in need - free of charge. We are proud to make a donation for $500 to Angel Flight Central in his honor!
In what ways has your nominee positively impacted their community?
Scott embodies the phrase "wings of hope". Not only is he a technology sales leader and entrepreneur, he also selflessly gives to his community as a City Council Member of Baldwin City, KS, and as a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight Central, a non-profit in Kansas City, MO, and the Midwest. For the past 8 years, Scott has donated his time, talent, and aircraft to help get passengers who need medical treatment in faraway cities - all for free. A recent passenger struggling with breast cancer couldn't afford the cost of traveling to her treatment. She had this to say about flying with Scott, "Scott was so great. The flight was so helpful and such a blessing, he also made a difficult time fun!" This is just one of countless passengers Scott has helped over the years. We are so proud to have him as a member of our community!
Known by friends as "the Mayor of Westport," Leo delights in sharing KC's art and culture with others. He also supports inclusion and representation in local music as a youth mentor for Art as Mentorship, to whom we are proud to make a $500 donation in Leo's honor.
Leo moved to Kansas City 15 years ago and fell in love with Westport and the art, culture, restaurant and brewery scenes. He has a genuine interest in connecting people and delights in introducing newcomers to First Fridays and events at the Mattie Rhodes Cultural Center. He volunteers for Art as Mentorship, which mentors youth in art and life resiliency. He has also been a board member at Mattie Rhodes and served on the Grant Committee of ArtsKC.
Leo brings positivity to his volunteerism and community engagement. He is also a co-founder of the Kansas City Tequila Society, whose motto is "Drink Good Tequila. Do Good Deeds." You might find Leo serving refreshments at a bike race, at a local radio station fundraiser, or supporting Kansas City area musicians. He is always joyously ready to serve his fellow humans, as well as serve a beer or tequila at any time. He epitomizes the unfiltered spirit of kindness found in Kansas City.
From encouraging entrepreneurship to high schoolers in Kansas City to connecting them with community organizations - to making birthday cakes for each student! Sheyvette is a local author, educator, and advocate who shows Unfiltered Kindness every day. We are proud to make a donation to the Wyandotte High School PTSA in Sheyvette's honor. Read below for how her nominator, Jessica, described Sheyvette as an Unfiltered Hero.
Sheyvette gives all to her community. She is a teacher who started the state's first-ever co-working space for high schoolers, and she makes sure that all her students recieve a homemade birthday cake on their special day. She also runs a non-profit, E-ship Rising. E-Ship Rising allows students throughout KCK to go through a FREE course on how to become an entrepreneur and how to make their dreams a reality. Sheyvette also supports students by connecting them with community organizations. She shows kindness to everyone every day and deserves to be recognized.
An undeniable force of positivity, we thank Jake for bringing Unfiltered Kindness to the Kansas City community! Read below for how his nominator, Katherine, described Jake as an Unfiltered Hero:
Jake has emerged as one of the great “voices of Kansas City.” Literally – he emcees for several charitable endurance races around town. He’s particularly passionate about the WIN for KC Triathlon, and he has been involved with the organization for many years as a board member. His passion and excitement for the organization is palpable as he cheers on women of all shapes, sizes, races, ethnicities, and athletic ability as they cross the finish line – taking great care to name-check each and every one of them.
Jake could easily be described as Mr. Kansas City. An Iowa transplant, he moved to Kansas City after falling in love with our town while attending many Big 12 (then, Big 8) Basketball Tournaments. And he has been deeply engaged in our community ever since. A VP at Parris Communications, he donates his time, participates in Leadership Development opportunities (Centurions and others), and champions Kansas City every chance he gets. Jake has always maintained an enviable attitude of positivity. He always has a smile on his face, a kind word, and an introduction to someone new.
We thank Tracy for her contributions to the arts and education community and to her sister Taryn for nominating her! Read below for how her nominator described her acts of Unfiltered Kindness:
My sister moved to Missouri in 2008 leaving behind our side of the family and a great group of friends, and found her solace in volunteering throughout the Kansans City area - Starlight Theater, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Mimi’s Pantry, Harvester’s, and Feed Northland Kids. In addition, she has volunteered at many 5k races doing packet pick up, handing out medals, and water stations - you name it! She has been recognized with the following awards: 2011 Don Woodson Award winner, Starlight Theatre; 2014 Northland Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Service to Education Award; 2015 Kauffman Foundation Kauffman Spirit Award Winner; 2020 Park Hill School District Star Award Support Employee.
She has fed the future as the snarky, well-loved, blue-haired lunch lady at a local middle school. She worked during the pandemic to make sure families had meals to take home and eat. She has been invited to no less than 16 graduations this year as she is a much loved and caring support staff person. She makes connections with these kids through tough love and a smile. She gives and gives of herself and her time to help make each and every day a tad better for someone else.
We thank Aiden for what he’s contributed to his community and to his partner India for nominating him. Read below for how his nominator described his acts of Unfiltered Kindness:
Aiden B. is the founder of the LGBTQ Iowa Archives & Library, a community library that provides queer books for all ages and preserves the queer history of Iowa. On any given week you’ll find him taking care of the community in so many ways, such as hosting a bbq for the library volunteers at his home, organizing a rally for trans rights, and making a meal for someone who is ill.
Aiden uses his training as a librarian to lead a queer community space in Iowa City. Aiden hosts a storytime for children 3 and under and has led an oral history project about lesbian farmers. Aiden has created a zine about the history of pride, an intergenerational craft circle for all genders, hosts a queer gaming discord channel, and oversees a Trans Day of Remembrance vigil. The LGBTQ Iowa Archives & Library tries to meet a lot of community needs and does much to build community with very few resources. Aiden puts every waking hour that he’s not working, and most of his disposable income, into the library (India says that he spends the rest of it on Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat.)
Let’s raise a pint of Unfiltered Wheat to Aiden and all of his contributions!
We thank Joseph for what he’s contributed to our community and to his daughter Bridget for nominating him! Read below for how his nominator described his acts of Unfiltered Kindness:
Joseph B. is an infectious disease physician who exemplifies unfiltered kindness and a commitment to the people of KC. Being in the hospital is scary for the person who is sick and their loved ones. He has dedicated so much of his energy over the past two years to take good care of the KC community through the stress and uncertainty of COVID. His philosophy is that each individual deserves to feel like they have his full attention and that they are treated with the utmost respect and dignity. He is a generous donor to different local causes and is a great dad of 4, uncle of many and friend of many, neighbor to several.
He is quite focused on his individual patients, so his personal work has always been to take care of people by providing good care rather than working on policy. He has taken care of thousands of individuals across the metro and has comforted many family members of the sick and deceased in times of stress. He leads by example and has inspired many to give or to treat people better.
