UPDATE: Due to our changed location, we have decided to peacefully march through the Plaza on the sidewalk before the rally (unless the weather seems dangerous). If you'd like to march with us, gather at 11:45 in front of Unity Temple, and be sure to bring your signs. You can see the planned march route here.

Please help us pay the costs of putting on the biggest climate rally in KC history by making a donation at our GoFundMe page here.

Join us on April 29th at 1 pm at Unity Temple on the Plaza. Let's rally together.

Contact John Fish Kurmann (willowjohn@gmail.com or 269-2190) for more info.

Here's that list of speakers:

Any list of accomplished, influential environmentalists and preservationists includes Bob Berkebile. Highly regarded by fellow professionals, Berkebile focuses on improving the quality of life in our society. In 2009, Berkebile received a Heinz Award from Theresa Heinz and the Heinz Family Foundation for his role in promoting green building design and for his commitment and action towards restoring social, economic and environmental vitality to America’s communities through sustainable architecture and planning. He was also instrumental in helping plan the rebuilding of Greensburg, Kansas, after the tornado leveled the town in 2007. Among his contributions to his industry, Bob is the founding chairman of the American Institute of Architects’ National Committee on the Environment (AIA / COTE). He was instrumental in the formation of the US Green Building Council and its LEED rating system.

Davis Hammet is the President of Loud Light, an organization fostering a culture of citizen participation and resistance in the state of Kansas. He has been an activist since age 10 when he attempted to shut down a Burger King for animal rights abuses. At 14, Hammet was a certified green building inspector in his home state of Florida, and while attending university, he organized his community around transitioning to renewable energy. More recently, he is recognized for his international human rights work through Planting Peace, and as the co-creator of the rainbowcolored Equality House. Hammet’s current work is focused on developing critical mass in millennial voter turnout to transform the electorate of Kansas and the nation.

Margaret J. May is the Executive Director of the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council (INC), serving one of the largest neighborhoods in Kansas City since 2001. Under her leadership, Ivanhoe has achieved numerous accomplishments, which have resulted in INC becoming a community development corporation (CDC) that develops new housing and rehabs/repairs existing houses. INC has a growing number of visionary, resolute residents who are dedicated to taking back the neighborhood, keeping the neighborhood clean, and making Ivanhoe a safe, secure place for people to live and raise their families. May was nominated to serve on the EPA’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC), where she served two three-year terms, one as chair and one as vice-chair. She serves on the Kansas City, Missouri Plan Commission and a number of not-for- profit boards.

Sergio Moreno is an interfaith chaplain in the Clinical Pastoral Education program at Saint Luke’s Hospital. He serves as the chair of the membership committee at the Rime Buddhist Center, where he also leads the Basics of Buddhism course and is a meditation instructor. He is a member of the Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council and serves on the board of the Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition. Moreno has a master’s degree in Romance Languages and Spanish Literature from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a bachelor’s degree in Theology and Ministry from Southern Nazarene University.

John Reyna is a member of the Lakota/Dakota Standing Rock Sioux tribe. He considers himself a lifelong learner and has been committed to healthcare from a young age. He began his dedication to social justice and prayerful action almost 40 years ago as a participant in the Run for Freedom and The Longest Walk. After being raised in both urban and reservation settings, Reyna has lived in the Kansas City area for more than 25 years. Reyna has been actively engaged as a Missouri River water protector in opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Dr. Carissa Stanton is a general pediatrician at the University of Kansas Health System where she serves as an assistant professor in clinical pediatrics. Her training in dietetics and integrative medicine taught her to recognize the significant influence the environment can have on wellness. With that knowledge, Stanton witnesses firsthand how children and families are affected by adverse environmental factors. She serves as an advocate for her patients and families through education and lifestyle improvement, and serves the community through her role in several organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and Sierra Club. Her passion is protecting the wellbeing of children and their families from harmful environmental impacts. She strives to be a voice for the innocent whose happiness and health is at risk for the profit and greed of a few.

Terrence Wise Terrence Wise is a 37-year- old father of three who works for McDonald’s in Kansas City, where he makes $9 per hour. Terrence began organizing for $15 per hour wages and union rights more than three years ago. He has caught the attention of the national media as he emerged as a voice for the movement and an inspiration for low-wage workers. In his role as a representative of the National Organizing Committee, Wise has spoken at the national NAACP convention, the White House Summit on Worker Voice where he introduced President Obama in 2015, and before the Brazilian Senate. He has helped to build the Fight for $15 into an international movement through his leadership on delegations in Ireland, Brazil and the European Union.