Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Events topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mayor’s briefing highlights Winter Wonderland, Brewer Center opening, blood drive and animal-shelter needs
Summary
At the Dec. 4 mayor’s briefing, city officials promoted Winter Wonderland and other holiday events, celebrated the Carl G. Brewer Community Center opening, urged donations for the Red Cross 'Battle of the Badges' and reported shelter intake numbers that underscore adoptions and reunification needs.
The mayor’s Dec. 4 briefing at Wichita City Hall promoted a slate of holiday events and community updates, including the city’s Winter Wonderland tree lighting, the grand opening of the Carl G. Brewer Community Center and a Red Cross blood-drive campaign.
Kay Sears of Wichita Park and Recreation said Winter Wonderland will be Friday, Dec. 5, from 6 to 8 p.m., with free admission, a tree-lighting ceremony and local entertainment. “The celebration begins right at 6 p.m. with our annual holiday tree lighting,” Sears said, adding that two children from the Miracle League of Wichita will flip the switch and that the event features hot chocolate, s’mores, family photo stations and community partners. Organizers list wichita.gov/winterwonderland for details.
Alisa Carty Harrison, recreation supervisor, described Saturday’s grand opening of the renovated Carl G. Brewer Community Center in McAdams Park, saying the facility will host program demonstrations, speakers beginning at 8:30 a.m., complimentary breakfast and self-guided tours. “This center stands as a testament to [Brewer’s] vision that every neighborhood deserves spaces where people can grow, gather, and thrive,” she said.
Public-safety and public-health messages also featured. Officer Rick Pena previewed the 31st annual Battle of the Badges blood drive (Dec. 8–31) at the Red Cross Wichita Blood Donation Center, encouraging donations and saying the campaign aims for 1,385 blood donations this year. He noted the campaign’s local history: it began in 1994 and has helped collect more than 35,000 donations over time. Donors receive a commemorative shirt while supplies last, and donors may cast a vote for the first-responder organization they support.
Emily Hurst, shelter manager for Wichita Animal Services, presented the weekly 'pet of the week' (Blitzen, a stray taken in Dec. 2) and shared recent intake figures: in November the shelter received 313 cats and 429 dogs (764 animals total) and returned 130 animals to their owners. Hurst encouraged owners and adopters to check wichita.gov/lostpets and local partner rescues.
The mayor also thanked the Wichita Mayor’s Youth Council for volunteering at Winter Wonderland and highlighted neighborhood holiday events across districts, a community-survey postcard mailing to randomly selected households for the 2025 Wichita community survey, and a local small-business fundraising initiative supporting the Kansas Food Bank.
The briefing closed with a question about the Boeing-Spirit merger; the mayor said she is "looking forward to new leadership" and hopes the deal benefits employees and the Wichita community. The city’s calendar lists the events and resource links announced at the briefing.
