KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Organizers of the Bank of America Celebration at the Station can plan every aspect of the event except for the weather.
“The truth of the matter is we can’t control it,” Kansas City Symphony Executive Director Frank Byrne said.
But the Symphony’s annual Memorial Day concert has a remarkable track record. Through 17 years, the event has never been rained out.
“Wednesday, we were prepping for this; everyone was worried,” Bank of America Kansas City Market President Matt Linski said, “And then Thursday, divine intervention set in and next thing you know we have 80 degrees, people showing up at 11 a.m. getting spots on the hill, spots in the shade.”
Blankets, lawn chairs and umbrellas packed the lawn in front of the Liberty Memorial on Sunday afternoon as the soggy weather week revealed at least one benefit.
“With all the rain, look at how green that lawn is," Byrne said. "It is unbelievable. It looks like a postcard."
With temperatures hovering around 80 degrees, the weather was perfect for a beloved Kansas City tradition.
“An unbridled celebration of patriotism I really enjoy,” said Roy Page, who has been attending for a decade.
The celebration carries a solemn meaning.
“As much as anything, I like honoring the war dead," Page said. "I think it’s good to remember."
It’s something World War II U.S. Navy veteran Norm Williams can never forget.
“I think about all the people people who aren’t here, and I enjoy being here,” the 92-year-old Williams said.
Byrne, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, started the event 17 years ago.
“This is our way at the Kansas City Symphony of saying thank you to the community that supports us day in and day out, and also saying thank you to our veterans and their families," he said. "It’s critically important."
After 19 years as the KC Symphony's executive director, Byrne will retire in August, so this was his final Celebration at the Station.
“To attribute it all to me would be a giant mistake and overstatement," he said. "I’ve just been privileged to be a part of a wonderful transformation."
