Just a Casual Night Drinking Wine With Giraffes

Selfie in Front of Japanese Garden

Saturday night, Carrie and I went to Roar and Pour at the Topeka Zoo. It was our first time attending, and we had a great time. The weather was perfect. We went with our friends Laura and Jason, who invited us to attend. They had been several times before and thought we would enjoy the event. They were right. We loved it. Carrie now wants to get a season membership so she can go and sit in the Japanese Garden whenever she wants.

We also ran into friends we had not seen in years. They live in Kansas City but still enjoy making time for events in Topeka. It was great to see them and catch up with Carla and her family. I met Carla back in 2000 when I went on a cruise, which is also where I met Carrie. We were able to chat with Carla and her family for a while at the end of the evening, which was a lot of fun.

I also saw one of my fellow Leadership Greater Topeka Class of 2026 classmates, Caleb, who was volunteering and serving wine. Caleb used to work at the Zoo, so he was helping out for the event. His station was serving Champagne. I had forgotten that Jason and Caleb worked together for a year or so, so it was fun to catch up and hear stories about their time working together.

Carrie Feeding the Giraffe

We arrived around 5 pm for the VIP session, which ran from 5 to 6 and included feeding the giraffes along with dinner. Feeding the giraffes was a lot of fun, although we could not pet them even though they seemed to be asking us to. The food was good as well, and Hazel Hill Chocolate provided desserts that were excellent. I had part of a caramel apple, and it was delicious.

The event picked up around 6 pm when the general public arrived. Even then, it was still a fun time and not too crowded as we moved from wine station to wine station. They also had food available as part of the event, including wings, and Toppers Pizza was handing out slices. It was a good way to finish the night. The evening wrapped up around 9 pm. Afterward, Carrie and I stopped by Erin and Greg’s place for a drink and to tell them about our night.

Group Picture to End the Night

It was a fun way to spend our Saturday while giving back to the community. We lucked out with the weather, especially since I remember hearing about downpours during previous years when friends attended. I would definitely sign up for this again next year. I really enjoyed the evening, and seeing the animals throughout the night was a bonus.

Until next time, have a great rest of your Sunday and a wonderful week!

Proud to Be Part of the Best Class Ever: Leadership Greater Topeka 2026

TK Magazine Article

I am honored to have recently been featured in a local Topeka publication, TK Magazine. Along with 35 other community leaders, I am participating in the Leadership Greater Topeka (LGT) class. The program began in January, and we are now approaching graduation in May. We proudly call ourselves the Best Class Ever, and I have truly enjoyed getting to know so many incredible people throughout this experience. Being surrounded by engaged leaders in our community and the outstanding 2026 class has been both inspiring and rewarding.

Posing in December After
Being Notified I am part 
of LGT 2026 Class

Back in December, I shared a post about being surprised by an LGT alum with the news of my selection. Classes officially started in the second week of January and have been held every other week since then. Gaining behind-the-scenes insight into how our city operates, from neighborhoods and city government to technical and operational areas, has made this an incredibly valuable experience. It has been a privilege to participate in a program that offers such a comprehensive view of Topeka.

The connections formed through this class, both with my fellow members of the 2026 LGT cohort and with graduates from past years, have been fantastic. Building relationships with leaders across the city has been one of the most meaningful aspects of the program. We have three class days remaining, followed by graduation on the final day.

I am already thinking about people I would like to nominate for the program next year. Prior to being selected, I had not really been familiar with Leadership Greater Topeka until my father-in-law, Eddie, nominated me in 2025. He reached out to see if I would be open to being nominated, knowing it would require approval from work due to the time commitment. I am incredibly grateful that he did, and I am thankful for the opportunity to be part of Leadership Greater Topeka.

If you would like to read more about me, you can visit https://tkmagazine.com/blog/2026/3/7/john-haverty-lgt-class-of-2026. To learn more about the entire 2026 Leadership Greater Topeka class, including all class members, you can visit https://tkmagazine.com/blog/2026/3/3/leadership-greater-topeka-class-of-2026.

Seeing Our Community From a New Perspective

Ride Along with Officer Hoffman

The Leadership Greater Topeka (LGT) experience is going well. We are a number of classes along and not yet halfway through all of the meeting times. I am learning so much about my community. As part of LGT, Saturday I went on my first ever ride along with the Topeka Police Department. I was a bit nervous about going, but Officer Hoffman was great answering all of my questions. We did not have any crazy calls while I was on the ride along. Well, at least not crazy calls as compared to some of the other stories he shared with me.

I have wanted to do a ride along for a few years, but never had the energy to start the process. Thanks to the LGT, I was able to accomplish this goal. Officer Hoffman asked me about the LGT and what I get out of the process. I shared with him it is learning about our community, having us involved, and helping to lead in our community is the goal that I see from being involved in LGT. I further shared that doing the ride along is providing a better understanding of what our fellow citizens are doing to protect are city.

A few weeks ago at LGT, we did a tour of the Topeka Public Library where they shared the process of a book return to the library. Something most people do not see. What happens when a book is returned that does not belong to the library? Well, they have a process for that and it automatically drops into a bin to transport to the correct library. I also did not realize that they have years books for most schools in Topeka.

Returning to the day I just had and the ride along, I found it interesting learning the process of the officer for which I was riding with today. The view of traffic stops and how to deescalate an issue was interesting to hear how he goes through the process. How he enters a situation can directly impact the outcome. I often times think of this as I go into different situations whether those be personal or work. Sometimes I do not go in with the right attitude and the issue escalates needlessly. 

Thank you for the ride along Saturday, Office Hoffman, and the Topeka Police Department. It was shared with me that ride alongs happen throughout the week and they are booked out weeks in advance.