We’re trying something a little different at Bloom this year. No silent auction. Instead, we’re holding an amazing raffle! You will be able to buy a chance to win any of three different prizes. Buy your raffle tickets as you check in at registration or from one of our many volunteers inside the party throughout the night.

You won’t even need cash – we’re all set up to take credit card transactions from the dance floor!

So, what are these extraordinary prizes? We’re glad you asked.

Prize #1: Trip for Two to Los Angeles. Thank you to Dan Nilsen and Bishop-McCann for donating this prize!

Roundtrip airfare for two to Los Angeles. Two-night stay for two at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. $125 gift certificate to Circa 55 steakhouse (also valid at Trader Vic’s). Value: $1,625. Courtesy of Bishop-McCann and Dan Nilsen.

Prize #2: Baume & Mercier man’s watch. Big thanks to Tivol for donating this exquisite timepiece.

Baume & Mercier Classima Executive watch with a round stainless steel case, black guilloche dial, and stick and Roman numeral markers, automatic movement. Retail value: $3,250. Courtesy of Tivol.

And Prize #3: the Completely KC Package. Thousands of dollars in locally-owned fitness classes, beauty services and photography services. Sports and theater tickets. Thousands in gift cards to Kansas City’s best local restaurants and bars. And more! Do NOT miss your chance to win!

• One year of free unlimited fitness classes from Fusion Fitness, valued at $1,020
• Gift certificate for 3 laser hair removal sessions (underarm/bikini) or 2 photo-rejuvenation sessions from Hollyday Aesthetics , valued at $600
• $500 gift certificate for photoshoot and prints from Isaac Alongi
• One pair of men’s jeans and one pair of women’s jeans from Baldwin Denim, valued at $450
• Gift basket of skin care products, courtesy of Dermadoctor, valued at $275
• Two Sporting KC Field Club tickets, courtesy of Brandon Noah, valued at $275
• Men’s Fine Grooming Package from The Gent’s Place, valued at $250
• $100 in services and $100 in products from Shelby Herrick Salon, total value $200
• $160 gift certificate for Naturally Salon
• $150 gift card for Fo Thai
• Four tickets to the April 23rd Royals vs. Blue Jays baseball game (Seats 9-12 Row MM Sec 214 + 3 Family Day Passes to KC Pumpkin Patch, courtesy of Kirk & Julie Berggren, KC Pumpkin Patch, valued at $150
• Three handcrafted belts from Corny Neuland, valued at $150
• $100 gift card for Gram & Dun
• $100 gift certificate for Power & Light District
• Two Plaza tickets for Memphis at Starlight Theatre (July 2012), valued at $100
• $100 gift card for The Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange
• Teal Bunbury autographed soccer ball & bobble head, two game tickets and two scarves, courtesy of Sporting Kansas City, valued at $75
• $65 gift card for The Mixx
• $50 gift card for SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza
• $50 gift card for Mestizo
• $50 gift card for 801 Chophouse
• $50 gift card for KC Hopps restaurants
• Jasper’s Autographed Cookbook and Mozzarella Theatre Kit, valued at $50
• $50 gift card for Bristol Seafood Grill
• $50 gift card for J Gilbert’s steakhouse
• $50 gift card for Tavern in the Village
• $50 gift card for Cascones
• $50 gift card for La Bodega
• $50 gift card for The Drop Bar & Bistro
• Two bottles of CLEAR10 Vodka, valued at $50
• Four bottles of wine from Ste. Michelle and Estates, valued at $50
• Three classes (adult/teen open classes) from the Kansas City Ballet, valued at $45
• $25 gift card for Fiorella’s Jack Stack
• BBQ and Bajan Sauces from Mr Doggity Sauces, valued at $25
• $25 gift card for Snow & Company
• Gift card for Westport Café/The Boot

Value: $5,490

See everyone on Friday night! If you still need to purchase tickets, go to the Tickets page at BloomParty.com!

The chaircouples for Bloom 2012 – Jen Greenstreet & Bill Hans and Emily & Matt Baldwin – selected the theme of this year’s party, Bloomstock, in honor of the Kansas City Free Health Clinic’s 40th anniversary. They wanted to honor and call back to the early ’70s when the Clinic was founded by hippies, Mission Hills matriarchs and young doctors and med students.

We’ve worked very hard over the last several months to create a modern party that references that era. The result of our efforts – Bloomstock – will be a wild bohemian trip of social exuberance full of live music, dancing, street performers, and signature Kansas City food and beverages.

To get a better understanding of how the Clinic came to be (and see some great archival photos of the Clinic founders), take a few minutes to watch this video. You’ll be glad you did.

Bloom has been reimagined for 2012 as Bloomstock – a nod to the free spirited roots of the Kansas City Free Health Clinic. Partygoers should be ready for a wild, bohemian trip on April 13th! Leave your tie-dye in the ’60s and think boho chic.

So, what should you wear to Bloomstock?

Halls, a longtime sponsor of Bloom, styled some suggested Bloomstock looks for us to share. Flowy, romantic dresses, dangling earrings, stacks of bracelets for women. Sandals are a must – whether they are flats or wedges. Men can take their inspiration from the rockers of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Fitted, patterned shirts. Layers of necklaces and stacks of leather bracelets. Whether you choose faded denim, colored denim or trousers, the fit is slim. Anything goes with jackets – blazers in subdued fabrics or in leather, army-inspired canvas jackets or a classic leather jacket. It all works.

Come as you are in the spirit of the era!

Have you bought your Bloomstock tickets yet? Purchase online at www.bloomparty.com!

Maurice Watson

Big news from Bloomstock! We are VERY excited to announce that Maurice Watson will serve as Bloom’s honorary chairperson this year.

Maurice is chairman-elect of the Husch Blackwell law firm here in Kansas City and is dedicated to many different causes in our community, both personally and professionally.

In his work capacity, Maurice represents public school districts, private schools, education associations and children’s hospitals. He speaks across the country on the legal rights of students and school employees.

Outside of the office, he is, it would appear, tireless in his continued contributions to Kansas City. He has served on the Board of Trustees for The Barstow School, the Children’s Mercy Hospital Foundation, the Harry S. Truman Library Institute, the Kansas City Art Institute and the National Association of Children’s Hospitals. Maurice has also given his time as a member of the Board of Directors of Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City Ballet, and The Learning Exchange. He has worked with FOCUS, the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City and the Heart of America Community AIDS Partnership.

He currently serves on the Community Advisory Council of the Kansas City Free Health Clinic, the beneficiary of the annual Bloom party. The purpose of Kansas City Free Health Clinic is to promote health and wellness by providing quality services, at no charge, to people without access to basic care.

The Bloomstock chairs, co-chairs and planning committee are humbled and honored to have Maurice Watson serve as our honorary chair this year. His commitment to Kansas Citians in need – whether in the education or health care realms – over the years is inspirational.

Please join us in welcoming and thanking Maurice for serving as Bloomstock’s honorary chairperson!

Mark your calendar for Friday, April 13th, 2012!

Bloom becomes Bloomstock!

Bloomstock will be a hip, one-of-a-kind celebration of the free spirit and commitment to community that was – and is – the foundation of the Kansas City Free Health Clinic. The passionate dedication to providing quality free healthcare that drove our founders to create the Clinic 40 years ago is alive and well today.

Before you dig out the tie-dye, just know that Bloomstock isn’t a retro party, a costume party or a throwback. We’re celebrating the free spirit and passion of the era in which the Clinic was founded – but not necessarily their wardrobes! Stay tuned here and on the Bloom Facebook page for our ideas on what to wear to our over-the-top, bohemian Bloomstock experience…

All the party details, sponsorship and ticket information is coming soon. Can’t wait!

Bloom 2012

Starlight Theatre

Friday, April 13, 2012

Details coming soon!

THANK YOU, KANSAS CITY!

Bloom 2011 committee members Kurt Knapstein, Bill Pile, Kate McKinney, Scott Kaiser, Ryan Holmes, Anya Holmes, Bill Hans, Kiran Ross, Jen Greenstreet, Amy Jo Wimmer, Stacey Lukas, Joe Bellinger

Thank you all for making Bloom Hits South Beach such an amazing party. Crazy fun as always!

The Bloom 2011 committee (that’s a good portion of the committee in the photo above) met last week to review the final numbers from this year’s event. And we are ecstatic that $210,000 was raised as a result of this single event!

A record-setting $133,000 was collected in sponsorships, $10,250 from patrons and $30,700 in ticket sales.

$18,073 was raised during the silent auction, $13,850 was collected during the fund-a-need auction during the party and $4,325 was donated by folks who couldn’t attend this year (we call them “darn” donations).

A very solid six-figures will be going to the Kansas City Free Health Clinic as a result of YOUR generosity – and we couldn’t be happier.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all sponsors, vendors and party-goers!

See you next year!

Looking for an excuse to get out of Kansas City for a getaway? Look no further than the silent auction at Bloom Hits South Beach this Friday night!

Check out some of the travel-related items up for auction this year:

• Three nights at a Breckenridge, Colorado vacation home, donated by Mike and Paula Casey (valued at $2,000)

• One-night stay in a luxurious Parlor Room at Hotel ZaZa in Dallas, with dinner for two at Dragonfly restaurant, donated by Bishop-McCann (valued at $750)

• Two-night stay in a suite at the Omni Chicago, with dinner for two at the 676 Restaurant, donated by Bishop-McCann (valued at $750)

• One-week stay in a private condominium in Laguna Beach, California, donated by Kelly Cole and Charles Shrout (valued at $4,000)

• Scottsdale weekend for 2: Round-trip airfare for two to Phoenix on Delta Airlines; two-night stay for two at Scottsdale’s Intercontinental Montelucia Resort & Spa; dinner for two at Prado, donated by Bishop-McCann (valued at $1,900)

What will YOU be bidding on this Friday night?

Very special thanks to Mike & Paula Casey, Kelly Cole & Charles Shrout and Dan Nilsen at Bishop-McCann for their generosity and continuing support of Bloom and the Kansas City Free Health Clinic.

Joe Bellinger from the Kansas City Free Health Clinic and Kurt Knapstein, co-chair of this year’s Patron Party, took a few minutes last
Saturday to talk about the Clinic and Bloom on the NBC Action News morning show.

Take a look:

The most-asked question about BLOOM each year is, undoubtedly, “What should we wear?!”

The suggested dress for BLOOM Hits South Beach? White hot, effortless and chic.  We asked stylists at Halls on the Country Club Plaza how they would interpret that.

So here’s their spin on South Beach chic:

If you feel like shopping after that (and who wouldn’t?!), here’s the scoop on each outfit in order of appearance:

1.  On the ladies:

Floral dress by Aidan Mattox, sandals by Gucci and jewelry by Amanda Sterett.

Purple dress by Hervé Leger, shoes by Jimmy Choo, earrings by Amanda Sterett.

Print dress by Alberto Makali, bangle by Anna Beck, shoes by Marc by Marc Jacobs.

2.  On Ian: Turquoise shirt by Hugo Boss, Polo belt, Diesel white jeans, Prada flip-flops and Makins Hats fedora.

On Stephen: Ted Baker striped shirt, Theory tie, Polo belt, Levi’s Made & Crafted jeans and Ferragamo shoes.

On Curtis: Hugo Boss jacket with JZ Richards pocket square, Dolce & Gabbana floral shirt, Armani pants and Penguin shoes.

3.  On the ladies:

Leopard dress by Dolce & Gabbana, fashion stack bangles and Gucci shoes.

Blue dress by Catherine Malandrino, Alexis Bittar necklace and ring and Stuart Weitzman shoes.

Print dress by Muse, white flat sandals by Stuart Weitzman with Tory Burch cross-body bag.

4. On Ian: Shipley & Halmos jacket and pants, Ferragamo pocket square, Lacoste shirt, Victorinox belt and Sperry shoes.

On Stephen: Moods of Norway blazer, Theory shirt, Naked & Famous bowtie, Rag & Bone jeans, G Star belt and Hush Puppies shoes.

All available from Halls on the Plaza.

Hope that helps inspire your BLOOM outfit this year! (And that remix in the video? By Miami DJ Joe Maz – who will be spinning at BLOOM Hits South Beach on April 8th!)

**Thanks so much to everyone at Halls – Kelly, Carnie, Jennifer, Joey and all of the models!