Brian's
Story
Brian was very athletic. From his early days at St. Thomas More Grade School playing on the fields and courts of the Parochial League and playing soccer for the Udinese Soccer Club, where he was chosen as a Missouri Olympic Development soccer player, Brian learned to love and excel in sports. He played soccer, football, basketball and track at Rockhurst High School, loving every minute of it. Finally, he went to the University of Missouri where he played football until an injury forced him to quit.
Although sports were a very important part of Brian’s life, he also valued his education. He was on the honor roll in both grade school and high school. In college, he was named a scholar athlete on the football team and graduated with a degree in finance.
Brian was a risk taker, an attribute he exemplified when he turned to poultry farming, something he knew nothing about. With the help of his business partner, Frank Reese, he helped the Good Shepherd Ranch grow and quickly become nationally recognized. He became an expert in humane farming and worked with the Animal Welfare Institute educating other farmers on the standards of humane farming. His last vision was to build a research institute on their farm to educate farmers from around the world.
The Story Behind Our Logo
The logo is designed in the shape of a turkey to represent Brian’s love of his job as both a turkey farmer who worked to preserve standard-bred turkeys and natural farming methods, as well as his job working for The Animal Welfare Institute as a farm auditor.
Dine & Dance
Golf Tourney
Our Mission
Knowing that Brian believed in the Jesuit tradition of being “A Man for Others,” it is our aim to positively touch the lives of others through charitable giving, providing educational opportunities and promoting animal welfare in his name.
The Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) charitable corporation.
Learn More About Brian
Charities We Support
Bags of Fun Kansas City
The mission of Bags of Fun Kansas City and the Gabby Krause Foundation is to make a difference in the lives of children and their families who are faced with fighting cancer and other long-term childhood conditions. They do this by bringing the healing power of play to them through a bag of fun.
Charlie’s House
Charlie’s House fulfills its mission by increasing awareness of the hazards that could cause an injury, educating parents, caregivers, and health professionals on mitigating risks, and distributing safety devices. Each year, the organization distributes more than 10,000 safety devices to families; over 80% of the parents served are income challenged.
Dream Factory of Greater Kansas City
Since 1985, the Dream Factory of Greater Kansas City has remained dedicated to making dreams come true for critically or chronically ill children. As a 100 percent volunteer organization, granting dreams is our mission, smiling children is our vision. And in more than three decades, our devoted volunteers and generous business supporters have created thousands of smiles. We are proud to say that more than 85 percent of the funds raised or donated to the Greater Kansas City chapter of the Dream Factory remain right here, granting the dreams of deserving children in our community.
KidsTLC
KidsTLC is a Kansas-based nonprofit organization that provides innovative and successful psychiatric treatment, homeless outreach to teens, outpatient behavioral health, autism and parent support programs. Services are focused on evidence-based therapies and trauma-informed care, with a strong emphasis on family wellness and preserving the family unit. KidsTLC responds to the growing needs of children in the Kansas City Metro area by adding critically needed services that fill community gaps and alleviate wait times for families to receive care.
Midwest Animal ResQ
Midwest Animal ResQ (MARQ) was founded in 2009 as a small foster-based rescue group focused on saving dogs from inhumane conditions at local large scale breeding facilities. With the help of dedicated supporters and volunteers, MARQ has grown into a multifaceted group in a short period of time. While we are still very passionate about retired breeding dogs, our scope has increased along with our capacity to serve the animals of the greater Kansas City area.
Operation Breakthrough
The mission of Operation Breakthrough is to help children who are living in poverty develop to their fullest potential by providing them a safe, loving and educational environment. Operation Breakthrough also strives to support and empower the children’s families through advocacy, referral services and emergency aid.
Rockhurst High School
A scholarship in Brian’s name is being funded for deserving young men. Brian became “A Man for Others” with his Jesuit education. The Rockhurst experience meant the world to him as he developed life-long friendships with both students and teachers. Giving another young man this opportunity would have meant the world to Brian.
Saint John Francis Regis Academy
Educational assistance for children of the school. Mary Ellen, Brian’s mother, retired after 30 years of teaching there. It is her deep devotion to students that made Brian proud of her accomplishments.
TeamSmile
Our mission is to create connections between children’s service groups, dental professionals, professional sports organizations and their athletes. Together, we can provide underserved children in need with a life-changing dental experience in which the excitement and allure of high profile sports reinforce the value of a life-long commitment to dental health care.
ST. Thomas More for All
We support St. Thomas More Parish by providing educational assistance for deserving students. Additionally, STM for All is a school ministry devoted to the support of their students with special needs including a broad range of educational, mental and physical challenges.