Thank you Presenting Sponsor UMB
Hope filled the room at MOCSA’s 32nd Annual Community Luncheon on Friday, May 1, 2026, as nearly 1,000 community members gathered in support of survivors of sexual assault. Together, attendees raised an incredible $466,000 to ensure survivors can continue accessing critical services without financial barriers.
Guests viewed excerpts from MOCSA’s SAFE Training, an initiative that equips bar and restaurant staff with tools to recognize potentially harmful situations and intervene to help prevent sexual violence and support survivors. The posters reflected the Luncheon’s larger message: creating safer communities requires all of us.
Julie Donelon, MOCSA President & CEO and Zach Bickel, MOCSA Board Chair
MOCSA President & CEO Julie Donelon and Board Chair Zach Bickel welcomed attendees and reflected on the growing need for MOCSA’s services. Between 2015 and 2025, MOCSA nearly quadrupled the number of survivors and families served annually, from 900 to more than 3,400.
“This means more survivors are coming forward to get the help they need and deserve,” Julie said.
The Luncheon marked a major milestone in MOCSA’s history. After years of planning, MOCSA announced the successful completion of a $21.3 million Capital Campaign, exceeding the fundraising goal ahead of the opening of our new building later this summer.
The moment was met with excitement and applause as attendees celebrated what this expansion will mean for survivors and the future of MOCSA’s mission.
Zach extended special thanks to Presenting Sponsor UMB, Honorary Chair and Board Member Stacy King, and Event Chair Gretchen Hayes for their leadership and support in making the event possible.
A powerful moment came from keynote speaker Eva Orner, an Academy Award and two-time Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker known for her investigative storytelling centered on human rights, institutional accountability, and survivor justice.
Orner spoke about her latest HBO Original documentary, Surviving Ohio State, which investigates the decades-long sexual abuse scandal involving former Ohio State University doctor Richard Strauss and the institutional failures that allowed the abuse to continue.
Eva Orner
“When I was approached to make this film, I initially declined,” Orner shared. “As a woman, I wondered if the male survivors would open up to me. I felt like such an outsider.”
But after speaking with several survivors, Orner said her perspective immediately changed.
“Each of them told me things they had never told anyone before,” she said. “I’m so glad I said yes to this film because it turned out to be possibly the most rewarding work I’ve ever done.”
Over two years, Orner built trust with survivors and their families, documenting not only the abuse they endured but also the lifelong effects of trauma, shame, silence, and institutional betrayal.
“The bravery of the people who come out and tell their stories are what stays with me the most,” Orner said.
She also reflected on the power of being heard and believed, describing the emotional impact survivors experienced during the film’s first screening.
“This film really surprised me and really makes me believe speaking out about abuse is so important,” she shared. “If by speaking out you change one person’s life, encourage someone to ask for help, then it’s worth it.”
Following Orner’s remarks, attendees heard a personal and moving testimony from Frank Keck, who courageously shared his experience surviving childhood sexual abuse and the decades-long journey toward healing.
“What happened to me was horrific,” Keck said. “There’s no way to sugarcoat it. I was molested by people you’re supposed to trust.”
As taught in MOCSA's Stewards of Children training, most childhood sexual violence occurs from someone the family is already closely connected to.
Frank Keck
Keck spoke openly about spending years hiding his pain, believing he was broken and unworthy.
Through therapy, vulnerability, and support, Keck slowly began reclaiming his voice and reframing his story.
“I realized something that changed everything,” he shared. “I am not broken. I am resilient. And I get to decide what I do with my story.”
His closing words resonated deeply throughout the ballroom.
“When we feel seen, we come alive,” Keck said. “For a long time, I was hidden. Today, I’m alive.”
Keck reminded attendees that the effects of sexual abuse can last a lifetime, and that organizations like MOCSA provide essential resources survivors and families need to navigate healing and recovery. He encouraged the audience to continue supporting MOCSA’s mission through advocacy, prevention, and financial support.
The Luncheon concluded with a renewed call to action: building a community free from sexual violence requires all of us. It requires parents and caring adults protecting children, neighbors supporting one another, businesses stepping in to create safer spaces, and communities believing and supporting survivors.
MOCSA is deeply grateful to the sponsors, donors, staff, speakers, and volunteers whose dedication made the Luncheon such a remarkable success. Your continued support ensures that MOCSA remains a vital pillar of hope, healing, and advocacy in Kansas City.
Together, this community is creating change and ensuring survivors are seen, heard, and supported.