From Christine Davis to the Optimist Club.....
This years awards were at the Marriott Ballroom in Blue Springs, MO. The Master of Ceremonies was Joel Nichols of KMBC-9 News and guest speaker Charles W. Gusewelle, Associate Editor and Columnist for The Kansas City Star.
Jan Reding started the event and passed the microphone to Joel who did an introduction and Pastor Dave Hackett gave the in vocational prayer. Missouri Representatives Bryon Pratt and Gary Dusenberg were in attendance to give out some awards as the honorees left the stage. Paulette Paulson and Cindy Panza gave out awards for the "Grow Grain Valley". Joel Nichols and Allen Lefko gave the CORNERSTONE of the Community to Jan Reding. All of this along with a wonder dinner, decorated with the Paris de France theme, made our night wonderful.
Christy Davis says..
How do I say thank you for giving me the opportunity to be this years selection for the Pillar of the Community. It is a great honor and I will do everything I can to continue to support this award in my future with the Optimist Club. To be there and see all the others and those in attendance was very rewarding. I want to say thank you to those who were attendance and gave support to not only to myself but to the other members who received an award.
Jan, you continue to amaze me with your outstanding accomplishments and you are an example of volunteerism to the community. You earned the CORNERSTONE of the Community award. I am very proud to know you and a role model that all of us should follow. Again thank you for giving me this wonderful night and I am deeply honored to have received this award.
CHRISTINE DAVIS
GRAIN VALLEY OPTIMIST CLUB written by Jan Reding....
The selection of Christine Davis as the Grain Valley Optimist’s honoree was an easy one to make as Chris is a devoted and very dedicated member of the organization. The club’s motto is "A Friend of Youth" and Chris practices this motto by her many hours of organizing, scheduling and working at the annual Easter Egg Hunt and the Santa House. She needs only to be given an idea for a project, and she immediately goes to work.
Christine Davis was born in Hollister, CA - the second of five girls born to Antonio and Virginia Anaya. She graduated from Ramona High School in 1969 and entered Riverside City College to study electronics. She continued her education at the University of California in Riverside to complete the necessary certification courses she needed in supervisory management, total management and human resources management.
In 1977 Chris joined a small company - Electro Pneumatic Corporation in Riverside, CA. By 1984 this small company had grown to over 200 employees and was purchased by Harmon Industries. Also in 1984, Chris married John Davis, the second marriage for both. Chris had one son, James, and John had three children, John Jr., Darlene and Pam. Chris and John have been married twenty-three years and have been blessed with eleven grandchildren and two great-grandsons. This number will soon be increased with the expected addition of two more grandchildren. When the Riverside facility closed in 1999, Chris was asked to relocate to Missouri, and John agreed to leave his job so she could continue her career. They moved to Grain Valley, and that same year Harmon was purchased by General Electric, and today the company is known as GE Transportation Systems Global Signaling. Chris has been employed in the railroad business for thirty years, eight of those here in Grain Valley.
When she transferred to Grain Valley, she was a repair manager and is now the production support leader.
Chris’ involvement in the community centers mainly with the Grain Valley Optimist Club where she has served on the Board for five years, has been vice president, president and is now first vice president. Not only does she work tirelessly on the Easter Egg Hunt (where over 8,000 eggs are stuffed and hidden in Armstrong Park and her husband, John, is the Easter Bunny), but Santa House would not "be" without Chris’ determined leadership to see that everything is "go" for the four weekends before Christmas. She also is the witch of Grain Valley at the annual Haunted Halloween Hayride. For her dedication to the Club, Chris received the coveted Bob Doty Award, an award presented each year to an Optimist member by Erma and Kathy Doty in memory of their son and brother.
In an effort to spread the news about the great things that the Optimist Club does for the youth of the community, Chris created a website called optimistclubofgrainvalley.blogspot.com and keeps it updated with timely news items and pictures of the club’s activities for all to view.
Chris is not all work and no play, as she is an avid bowler and has been since 1977 – and she is good! In 1995 Chris was undefeated in the Queens Bowling Tournament. Her highest game was a 288 with a series of 756. You don’t want to know her average – nor do you want to challenge her unless you are willing to lose gracefully.
Chris also spent eight years in her spare time making wedding cakes and still does on occasion. She now spends her spare time talking with her sisters who live in California, Texas, Oklahoma and Washington.
Christine Davis – for all of your hard work, your dedication, and your
spirit of giving to the youth of Grain Valley, we declare you a
Pillar of the Community.
Two awards given from Missouri Representatives, Bryon Pratt and Gary Dusenberg. These were Missouri House of Representatives and the Senate State of Missouri which were very professionally printed with the information provided to the MC to read. 
